kilotesla

A kilotesla is a unit of magnetic flux density in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system of units. It is equal to 1,000 teslas. The tesla is the SI unit of magnetic flux density, defined as one weber per square meter. Therefore, one kilotesla is equal to 1,000 webers per square meter.

Magnetic flux density, often referred to as magnetic field strength or magnetic induction, is a vector quantity that describes the strength and direction of a magnetic field. It is measured in teslas in the SI system and in kiloteslas in the CGS system. The kilotesla is a relatively large unit of magnetic field strength. For comparison, the Earth's magnetic field is approximately 30 to 60 microteslas (0.00003 to 0.00006 teslas), and the magnetic field of a typical refrigerator magnet is around 5 milliteslas (0.005 teslas).

Kiloteslas are used in contexts where extremely strong magnetic fields are encountered or generated. These include scientific research, such as in particle accelerators and fusion reactors, as well as in some industrial applications. For instance, powerful superconducting magnets used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners can generate fields of several teslas, and experimental facilities might produce fields in the tens or even hundreds of kiloteslas. The ability to generate and control such strong magnetic fields is crucial for many advanced technologies and scientific investigations.