ARM, TRM and magnetic interactions: Concentration dependence

Abstract

ARM (anhysteretic remanence)/SIRM (saturation isothermal remanence) and TRM (thermoremanence)/SIRM were measured as a function of the concentration (volume fraction) of single-domain magnetite (3 × 10-6 ≲ C ≲ 2 × 10-2), ARM/SIRM increases with decreasing concentration, showing that there is magnetic interaction between fine particles. The role of magnetic interaction in TRM acquisition is also important at higher concentrations of magnetite (C ≳ 0.1%), where the value of TRM/SIRM increases with decreasing concentration. It is only for concentrations of C ≲ 0.1% that the value of TRM/SIRM is fairly constant and interactions among magnetite grains seem to be ignored. The ratio TRM/ARM decreases from seven to almost unity as the concentration of magnetite decreases. © 1979.