Stability of equidimensional pseudo-single domain magnetite over billion year time-scales
File(s)nagy-et-al-2017-authors-copy.pdf (3.83 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Interpretations of paleomagnetic observations assume that naturally occurring magnetic particles can retain their primary magnetic recording over billions of years. The ability to retain a magnetic recording is inferred from laboratory measurements, where heating causes demagnetization on the order of seconds. The theoretical basis for this inference comes from previous models that assume only the existence of small, uniformly magnetized particles, whereas the carriers of paleomagnetic signals in rocks are usually larger, nonuniformly magnetized particles, for which there is no empirically complete, thermally activated model. This study has developed a thermally activated numerical micromagnetic model that can quantitatively determine the energy barriers between stable states in nonuniform magnetic particles on geological timescales. We examine in detail the thermal stability characteristics of equidimensional cuboctahedral magnetite and find that, contrary to previously published theories, such nonuniformly magnetized particles provide greater magnetic stability than their uniformly magnetized counterparts. Hence, nonuniformly magnetized grains, which are commonly the main remanence carrier in meteorites and rocks, can record and retain high-fidelity magnetic recordings over billions of years.
Date Issued
2017-09-26
Date Acceptance
2017-06-22
Citation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2017, 114 (39), pp.10356-10360
ISSN
1091-6490
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Start Page
10356
End Page
10360
Journal / Book Title
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume
114
Issue
39
Copyright Statement
© the authors
Sponsor
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Identifier
https://www.pnas.org/content/114/39/10356/
Grant Number
NE/J020508/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
micromagnetics
paleomagnetism
geomagnetism
thermoremanence
thermal stability
THERMOREMANENT MAGNETIZATION
PARTICLES
CONSTANT
SIZES
geomagnetism
micromagnetics
paleomagnetism
thermal stability
thermoremanence
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2017-09-05