Micromagnetic Modes of Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility in Natural Magnetite Particles

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) is commonly used to assess sedimentation, deformation, tectonics, rock fabric, and texture. Using focused-ion beam nanotomography, we develop a micromagnetic method to investigate the AMS of individual magnetite inclusions in silicates across the transition between single-domain (SD) to multidomain behavior. We calculate individual AMS tensors by modeling the magnetization response of a particle to weak applied fields in three orthogonal directions. The main AMS mode of elongated SD particles is not a homogeneous magnetization rotation, but focused alignment of spins at their edges and tips. In single-vortex particles, vortex displacement is the dominant AMS mode, which focuses the largest magnetization changes in a planar region containing the vortex core, and perpendicular to the direction of vortex motion. In multi-vortex structures a combined motion of all vortex centers can lead to high degrees of anisotropy when some motion patterns are energetically much easier to achieve than others.

Automated summary

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) is a commonly used method to assess various geological properties. The study reveals that the behavior and magnetic response of magnetite inclusions vary between single-domain (SD) and multi-domain particles.