A study on the effect of the condition number in the magnetic field mapping of the Air-Core solenoid

Mapping is a useful tool in the magnetic field analysis and design. In some specific research area, such as the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is important to map the magnetic field in the interesting space with high accuracy. In this paper, an indirect mapping method in the center volume of an air-core solenoid is presented, based on the solution of the Laplace's equation for the field. Through the mathematical analysis on the mapping calculation, we know that the condition number of the matrix, generated by the measurement points, can greatly affect the error of mapping result. Two different arrangement methods of the measurement points in field mapping are described in this paper: helical cylindrical line (HCL) method and parallel cylindrical line (PCL) method. According to the condition number, the HCL method is recommended to measure the field components using one probe. As a simple example, we mapped the magnetic fields in a MRI main magnet system. Comparing the results in the different methods, it is feasible and convenient to apply the condition number to reduce the error in the field mapping calculation. Finally, some guidelines were presented for the magnetic field mapping in the center volume of the air-core solenoid.