The effect of molecular mean‐field interaction on remanent magnetism

Abstract

PurposeThe paper aims to take a critical view of the Wholfarth's assumption and the Henkel plots as the measure of molecular mean‐field interaction in magnetic materials. At the same time it seeks to formulate the effect of the molecular field interaction on the anhysteretic remanence.Design/methodology/approachBased on the recently verified Bosorth's original definition of anhysteretic state, the paper verifies Wohlfarth's conjecture. By including the molecular field interaction into the effective field expression it formulates the hysteretic and anhysteretic remanent behavior of the magnetic material.FindingsThe hysteretic and anhysteretic character of the material can be formulated up to and beyond the Barkhausen jump. The paper also points out that, the now verified, Wholfarth's conjecture is applicable to not only major hysteresis loops but also to symmetrical minor loops as well, within the same set. By doing so it removes the uncertainty surrounding its mathematical formulation.Research limitations/implicationsIn the light of these findings the conjecture's relation to multi‐phase magnetic materials has to be investigated in the future.Originality/valueThe formulation of the hyteretic and anhysteretic remanent character can provide a graphical interpretation of the materials behavior. The paper demonstrate how the Henkel plots, based on the Wholfarth's conjecture, used as an indicator of the magnitude of the molecular interaction, can be simplified to the benefit of the theoretical and practical users.