English: Copper conductor disk from a 16 T Bitter magnet, a powerful electromagnet used in scientific research. Diameter 40 cm. Instead of wire windings, Bitter magnets consist of a stack of split conductor disks like this, separated by insulating spacers. Electric current flows in a helical path through the stack of disks. The conducting disks have the strength to withstand the enormous Lorentz forces caused by the magnetic field. In operation this disk carries a current of 20,000 amperes. Cooling water flows through the holes in the disk to carry away the enormous waste heat. The magnetic field is created in the center hole. This disk has been damaged by excessive heat, shown in inset