VAN-DER-WAALS INTERACTION BETWEEN 2 CYLINDERS IN A MAGNETIC FLUID

The van der Waals interaction between two parallel material cylinders (rods) is considered when the ambient fluid is assumed to possess magn etic as well as dielectric properties. The magnetic part of the intera ction free energy is calculated explicitly. The magnetic dispersion re lation is taken to be of the Lorentz form, with a proper frequency ome ga(Om) much lower than the proper frequency omega(Oc) in the dielectri c dispersion relation. The present formalism generalizes an earlier tr eatment of D.J. Mitchell, B.W. Ninham and P. Richmond (Biophys. J. 13 (1973) 370) to include the case of magnetic fluids.