Magnetic braking of magnets sliding along a sloped aluminum surface

[BEP]

then when I flipped the magnet over it was like 4 bird dogs and a bucket of chicken.

Yea, I had several so-called 'educated' folks declare I was using fishing line during my demonstration. Oops, I think that was before mono filament line ( just kidding 
It was when I was just a kid, in my thirties.

Edit to add, and no matter how much I re read your nice little summary of eddy current effects and the rhrule, I don't see the explanation of why one pole lifts off so much more enthusiastically than the other.

Really? I thought I did offer 'my' explanation. The lead is about 30 deg. and the lag around 90, if I remember correctly. I liken it to the center of gravity shifting position on an unbalanced wheel as RPM changes. In effect, the moving magnet is trying to align itself with the field it is creating. This happens with either polarity but one polarity presses the leading edge against the track surface, slowing the decent, lessening the whole effect. The other polarity causes the leading edge to lift allowing for a speed increase which aids the effect.

Ever wonder why the one pole down makes it look like the magnet is almost glued to the metal while moving? I don't think it is because of the 'like' pole being created under it or because of the 'like' pole being created before it.

[0c]

Yea, I had several so-called 'educated' folks declare I was using fishing line during my demonstration. Oops, I think that was before mono filament line ( just kidding 
It was when I was just a kid, in my thirties.

Are you aware of any books, papers, or websites that discuss this behavior?

Really? I thought I did offer 'my' explanation. The lead is about 30 deg. and the lag around 90, if I remember correctly. I liken it to the center of gravity shifting position on an unbalanced wheel as RPM changes. In effect, the moving magnet is trying to align itself with the field it is creating. This happens with either polarity but one polarity presses the leading edge against the track surface, slowing the decent, lessening the whole effect. The other polarity causes the leading edge to lift allowing for a speed increase which aids the effect.

At the moment, I think this is the most rational explanation we have. But I still have some questions:

1) As TK mentioned, these speeds are far from relativistic. Why would the oppositional field created by the eddy current lead or lag the magnet?

2) Why would polarity make a difference (unless there is some external influence)?

Still wondering what TK's upsliding experiment will show us.

[jibbguy]

Just a thought: Has anyone tried this again with the plate turned 90 degrees to the original orientation; which could indicate if the "crystalline-like" structure of the alum plate's "grain" had any influence on the drag effect?

[0c]

If I may point you to OC's idea that led to the whipmag, this is also a theory based on flipping the magnets at the correct moment to overcome the sticky spot, we got some odd results from replication but no free runner, the interesting part was certainly the stator and rotor magnets spinning in opposite directions.

(even more interesting was stator and rotor spinning the same direction)

Yeah, I been thinkin about this. I wonder if this type of effect could be used to "flip" a magnet over into an alternate orientation?

[0c]

Set the magnet to slide down. If flux is flowing into the Al. from the pole facing it, then dragged through the Al. due to the magnet in motion,being bent  upward/dragged/held back from where it came, the exit point of the aluminum would be higher in the aluminum, above the magnet, thus a change in the path of flux from the norm.
But, if flowing out from the outer pole of the magnet, the one thats not facing the Al., then the flux direction is not influenced by the Al. drag before entering the Al. So the  point of entering and exiting will be in different from each other.

Are you trying to say that Lenz law is viscous? That there's a delay? Or that the oppositional field is actually created before the magnet arrives?