Open AccessMicromagnetics of paleomagnetically significant mineral grains with complex morphology
Author(s) -
Williams W.,
Evans M. E.,
Krása D.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2009gc002828
Subject(s) - micromagnetics , magnetite , coercivity , spheres , geology , grain boundary , crystallite , materials science , octahedron , condensed matter physics , geometry , mineralogy , magnetization , crystal structure , crystallography , composite material , physics , magnetic field , microstructure , mathematics , chemistry , metallurgy , quantum mechanics , astronomy
Micromagnetic calculations relevant to paleomagnetism have generally focused on ideal shapes such as spheres and cubes. However, oxide grains that occur naturally in rocks often have irregular morphologies, highly skeletal dendritic forms being particularly common. To investigate the potential effects of complex grain morphology on magnetic stability, we have carried out two parallel sets of calculations. The first is based on randomly distorted 30–120 nm magnetite spheres. We use a three‐dimensional finite element/boundary integral micromagnetic model able to generate suitable morphologies unrestricted by the regular cell structure required by finite difference models. The second model consists of a 300 nm magnetite octahedron from which most of the material has been removed to leave a small octahedral crystallite at each of the six apices connected by an orthogonal framework of thin rods. The results obtained imply that micromagnetic models currently provide no unambiguous evidence that morphological complexities endow magnetite nanoparticles with enhanced coercivity.