The use of geophysical techniques to image the interiors of active volcanoes can provide a better understanding of their structure and plumbing. The need for such information is especially critical for undersea volcanoes, whose environment makes them difficult to investigate. Because undersea volcanoes are made up of highly magnetic basaltic rock, it is possible to use variations in the magnetic field to explore the internal structure of such edifices. This study combines magnetic survey data from 12 research cruises to make a magnetic anomaly map of volcanically active Loihi, located in the Hawaiian Island chain. NRM intensities and susceptibility measurements were measured from recovered rock samples and suggest that magnetic properties of Loihi are widely varied (NRM intensities range from 1-157 A/m and susceptibilities from 1.26 x 10-3 to 3.62 x 10-2 S.I.). The average NRM intensity is 26 A/m. The size and strength of magnetic source bodies were determined by using various modeling techniques. A strongly magnetized shield can explain most of the anomaly with a large nonmagnetic zone inside, beneath the summit. Prominent magnetic highs are located along Loihi's north and south rift zone dikes and modeling solutions suggest strongly magnetized source bodies in these areas as well as a thin, magnetic layer atop the nonmagnetic zone. The strong magnetic anomalies found along the volcano's rift zones cannot be readily attributed to recent lava flows at the surface. Instead, the source bodies must continue several kilometers in depth to give reasonable magnetization values and are interpreted as dike intrusions. Nonmagnetic anomalies at the summit and south of the summit suggest the presence of a magma system. The model solution suggests Loihi is an inhomogeneously magnetized seamount with highly magnetic dike intrusions along the rift zones with a nonmagnetic body at its center overlain with a magnetic layer.

The clay mineralogy data and K-Ar ages of I/S measured in this study agree with previous work conducted within the Disturbed Belt (Hoffman, 1976) and show that diagenetic I/S formed quickly at several different places in response to thrust sheet burial during the Laramide orogeny. The averages of concordant age values for clay sub-fractions separated from three bentonites of Cretaceous and Jurassic depositional age increase from southeast (53.6 Ma) to northwest (56.7 Ma) along the trend of the Disturbed Belt. This northwestward increase of mean ages of I/S is consistent with a thrust sheet emplacement model for the Disturbed Belt (Mudge and Earhart, 1980). The rate of the eastward advancement of the Lewis Thrust Sheet derived from the concordant K-Ar dates of I/S was about 1 cm/year in the Marias River area. The absence of the 2M1 illite polytype in most bentonitic shales does not permit the derivation of the age of diagenetic I/S by Illite Age Analysis and yet constrains the estimate of maximum burial temperature to 250°C.

The main objective of this research is the study of the magnetization of ferromagnetic spheres in the presence of external magnetic fields. The exact analytical solutions derived in this thesis are benchmark solutions, valuable in testing the correctness and accuracy of various approximate models and numerical methods. The total scalar magnetic potential outside the spheres, related to the magnetic field intensity, is obtained by the superposition of the potentials due to all spheres and the potential corresponding to the external field. The translational addition theorems for scalar Laplacian functions are used to solve boundary value by imposing exact boundary conditions. The scalar magnetic potential inside each sphere, related to the magnetic flux density, also satisfies the Laplace equation, which is solved by imposing the boundary conditions known from the solution of the outside field. Finally, the expressions derived are used to generate numerical results of controllable accuracy for field quantities.

The morphology, composition, and magnetic properties of NiFe thin films were characterized. Films with thicknesses up to 137 nm were deposited in an RF induction evaporator at high vacuum (10^-8 mbar). Time resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect microscopy (TR-MOKE) was used to measure the Gilbert damping constant, an important dynamic magnetic property with applications to magnetic data storage. The composition of each film was measured with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microscopy and used to determine the weight percent of Ni and Fe in each film. A trend of increased damping with increased thickness was found, in agreement with published results. Magnetic properties and roughness were found to differ significantly from previous films grown in the same vacuum chamber by Rudge, and are attributed to different growth modes produced by differing deposition conditions. However, the weight percent of Ni in each film was found to be inconsistent, deviating by up to 7% from the Ni80Fe20 evaporation source. Inconsistent composition, caused by the inability to control deposition parameters, prevents insight into Gilbert damping from being drawn from the analysis. / Graduate

In the thesis at hand, different concepts of magnetic recording were investigated both from an experimental and theoretical point of view. On the one hand, micromagnetic simulations of bit patterned media were performed examining the influence of magnetic and geometrical parameters on the magnetization reversal mechanism of the bit array. In this regard, the recording concept called exchange coupled composite (ECC) media was applied in combination with bit patterned media (BPM). It was demonstrated that ECC/BPM is superior in terms of narrowing the SFD which is vital for the implementation of BPM as a recording scheme in magnetic data storage deviced. Moreover, the stability of the magnetic state was calculated for single nanomagnets using the nudged elastic band algorithm. It was found out that the magnetic and geometrical properties have a severe influence on both, the energy barrier for magnetization reversal and the magnetization reversal process of the single nanomagnets. On the other hand, experimental studies of granular CoCrPt:SiO2 films deposited on self-assembled arrays of SiO2 nanoparticles with a size from 10 nm to 330 nm have been carried out, showing a distinct size-dependence of the coercive field and remanent magnetization with changing nanoparticle size. Moreover, these films have been irradiated with Co+ ions with different fluences, resulting in a change of the magnetic properties of the films due to both a change of the intergranular exchange coupling of the film and a degredation of the magnetic layers at higher irradiation fluences.

The mechanisms by which magnetisation changes occur in magnetic materials may be investigated by a variety of hysteresis measurements. During this study both alternating and rotational hysteresis measurements were used to characterise the mechanisms of magnetisation change in a number of permanent magnet materials. Studies of the time dependence of magnetisation, remanent magnetisations and the dependence of the reversible magnetisation on the irreversible magnetisation were undertaken. These studies revealed that in sintered rare-earth iron magnets the magnetisation change is predominately controlled by domain nucleation, with a lesser contribution from domain wall pinning within the boundary regions of the grains. Similar mechanisms control the magnetisation change in the larger grains of melt-quenched rare-earth iron magnets. In the single domain grains of the melt-quenched materials incoherent rotation mechanisms control the changes of magnetisation. Magnetisation change in MnAlC and sintered AlNiCo was found to be controlled by domain wall pinning within the interior of the grains of the materials. Two devices were constructed for the measurement of rotational hysteresis. The first measures the angular acceleration of a sample set spinning in a magnetic field, from which the rotational hysteresis loss may be determined. The second employs rotating search coils to make direct measurements of the component of magnetisation that contributes to rotational hysteresis loss during the rotation of a sample in a field. Both devices were found to produce data consistent with that in the literature and to be useful for the characterisation of rotational hysteresis in permanent magnet materials. A simple model was used to examine the dependence of rotational hysteresis loss on various material parameters. It was found that the value of the rotational hysteresis integral is dependent on interactions and to a lesser extent distributions in anisotropy. This is contrary to assumptions commonly made in the literature but consistent with published experimental data, which has been reinterpreted. Measurements of rotational hysteresis losses in the materials studied were found to be effected by geometric demagnetisation effects. A method by which such data may be corrected for these effects is proposed. Following correction and consideration of the interactions within the materials, the rotational hysteresis data was found to be consistent with the characterisations performed in linearly alternating fields.

[abstract] In the process of nucleation, the decay of a metastable state is initiated by the formation of a spatially localised region called a nucleus of critical size. In many realistic situations nucleation is initiated at an impurity or defect; such as a dust particle, an irregularity in a sample, or a crack in the wall of a container. The aim of this thesis is to identify and understand the fundamental changes different types of defect make to nucleation by studying a one-dimensional continuum model used to describe solitons. A well established theory due to Langer is extended to calculate the rate of decay of a metastable state due to the nucleation of solitons at defects. Results are used to find the rate of thermally activated magnetisation reversal for a ferromagnetic nanowire with defects in the uniaxial anisotropy. Defects which are narrower than the soliton width (point-like defects) and wider than the soliton width (step defects) are both modelled. An attractive defect breaks the translational symmetry of a soliton and leads to pinning. The pinning of solitons is found to reduce the activation energy required for nucleation, reduce the critical field above which a metastable state becomes unstable, alter the mechanism by which a metastable state decays, and modify the prefactor for the rate of decay. Changes to the prefactor are interpreted in terms of entropy and the dynamics of metastable decay when a defect is present.

[pt] Propomos um hamiltoniano de spin para descrever as propriedades térmicas e magnéticas de uma série de borocarbetos. O efeito do campo elétrico cristalino é aproximado por um campo magnético efetivo.Aplicamos a teoria de onda de spin e encontramos a relação de dispersão e a densidade apenas se desloca rigidamente em energia. A partir destes resultados calculamos a contribuição dos magnons ao calor específico molar com e sem campo magnético externo. O efeito do campo externo, porém é pequeno.A seguir calculamos a magnetização de subrede a T=0K, a qual sofre uma pequena redução devido às flutuações quânticas, em relação ao valor iônico obtido pela regra de Hund. Encontrmos também a magnetização em função da temperatura, com e sem aplicação de campo magnético. Com esse modelo conseguimos descrever bastante bem os dados experimentais de calor específicoda série. / [en] We propose a spin hamiltonian to describe the magnetic and thermal properties of a series of borocarbides. The effect of the crystal electric field is simulated by an effective magnetic field. By applying spin wave theory we have found the dispersion relation and the density of state for the magnos as well. In presence of an external magnetic field this density os state shifts rigidly in energy. From these results we have calculated the magnon contribuition to the molar specific heat without applied magnetic field. the effect of the field, however, is very small. We also have found the sublattice magnetization at T = 0K which is slightly reduced with respect to the ionic value given by the Hund's rule. Then we have calculated the sublattice magnetization as a function of T, both in presence and in absence of the magnetic field. With this model we succed in fitting fairly well the experimental data for the specific heat of the borocarbides series.

A ideia de transferência de spin, como forma de controle da magnetização, foi introduzida independentemente por Slonczewski e por Berger em 1996. Desde então, esse efeito tem sido alvo de inúmeras pesquisas, em especial pela possibilidade de aplicações em memorias magnéticas não voláteis e em osciladores de alta frequência. Devido _a complexidade do problema, a grande maioria das pesquisas teóricas sobre o assunto _e baseada em resultados numéricos. Porém, esses métodos podem dificultar a visualização das influências individuais dos diferentes termos envolvidos. Para isso, seria melhor a utilização de métodos analíticos, o que nos motiva a buscar por esses resultados. Nesse trabalho, apresentamos uma revisão sobre a teoria básica do efeito de transferência de spin e da dinâmica da magnetização. São revistas as principais equações que descrevem o comportamento da magnetização, as equações de Landau-Lifshitz e de Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert, e comparadas suas componentes quando da inclusão do termo de transferência, analisando a melhor forma de incluir esse termo. É destacada a contribuição dada pelo termo de transferência na frequência de precessão da magnetização, que aparece ao se utilizar a equação de Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert. Após essa revisão dos conceitos base, são buscadas soluções analíticas para a dinâmica da magnetização da camada livre de um sistema nanopilar em tricamada. Quatro casos são analisados: primeiro um sistema sem anisotropias e sem a inclusão do campo de Oersted, no segundo caso é incluído um termo de anisotropia e no terceiro novamente um sistema sem anisotropias, mas com a inclusão do campo de Oersted. Todas essas análises são feitas em uma aproximação de macrospin. Por último, uma aproximação de microspin com campo de Oersted. Nos três primeiros casos, é possível obter resultados analíticos e simular os resultados. São estimados o tempo de reversão e a frequência de precessão estável. / The idea of spin transfer as a way to control magnetization was introduced independently by Slonczewski and Berger in 1996. Since then, this e ect has been the subject of numerous studies, especially for potential applications in nonvolatile magnetic memories and high-frequency oscillators. Due to the complexity of the problem, the vast majority of theoretical research on this subject is based on numerical results. However, these methods might not display the in uences of individual terms involved. For this, it would be better to use analytical methods, which motivates us to search for these results. In this paper, we review the basic theory of spin transfer e ect and of magnetization dynamics. We review the main equations that describe the behavior of magnetization, the Landau-Lifshitz and Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equations, and compare its components when inserting the spin torque term, analyzing the best way to include this term. The contribution of spin transfer on magnetization precession frequency, which appears when using the Landau-Lifshitz- Gilbert equation, is emphasized. After this review of basic concepts, analytical solutions for magnetization dynamics of the free layer in a tri-layer nanopillar are searched. Four cases are analyzed: rst a system without anisotropy and without the inclusion of the Oersted eld, in the second case an anisotropy term is considered and in the third case, again a system without anisotropy, but with the inclusion of Oersted eld. All these analisys are done in a macrospin approximation. Finally, a microspin approach including Oersted eld. In the rst three cases, it is possible to obtain analytical results and simulate these results. Reversal time and stable precession frequency values are estimated.

The study of the frustrated spin systems continues to be a subject of intense research, in particular low dimensional systems. These systems exhibit more dramatic quantum fluctuations, displaying rich phase diagrams. Many lowdimensional spin systems, especially in one dimension, respond discontinuously to the variations of an external magnetic field. In these systems, there is the arising of magnetization plateaus as a function of the magnetic field. In this dissertation, we propose to analytically study the thermodynamic behavior of a low-dimensional system. We used a model that includes competitive interactions and quantum fluctuations in the system. The model consists of a spin chain with diamond topology on which the competitive interactions are mediated by itinerant electrons located in dimer that decorate the chain. Employing a decoration-iteration transformation, we got the exact solution for several thermodynamics quantities of this model, including magnetization, specific heat and susceptibility as a function of temperature, magnetic field applied and relevant couplings. In the magnetization versus external field curve emerge a plateau in 1 /3 of the value of the saturation magnetization. Additionally, we analyze the curve of adiabatic demagnetization for this model in connection with the magnetocaloric effect (MCE). We found that the adiabatic cooling rate can achieve values much larger than in paramagnetic systems, specially in the vicinity of the critical field separating distinct ground states. / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O estudo de sistemas frustrados de spin continua sendo objeto de intensas pesquisas, em particular em baixas dimensões onde os efeitos das flutuações quânticas são mais intensos, levando a ricos diagramas de fase. Alguns sistemas de spins de baixa dimensionalidade, especialmente os unidimensionais, respondem descontinuamente às variações do campo magnético externo. Em tais sistemas, na curva da magnetização formam-se platôs como função do campo. Nessa dissertação, nos propomos a estudar analiticamente as propriedades magnéticas de um sistema de baixa dimensionalidade descrito por um modelo que inclui interações competitivas e flutuações quânticas. Para tanto, introduzimos o modelo de uma cadeia de spins com topologia diamante na qual as interações competitivas são mediadas por elétrons itinerantes localizados em dímeros que decoram a cadeia. Utilizando a transformação de iteração-decoração, obtivemos a solução exata para diversas propriedades termodinâmicas desse modelo, entre as quais magnetização, calor específico e susceptibilidade em função da temperatura, campo magnético aplicado e acoplamentos relevantes. Na curva da magnetização versus campo externo surge um platô em 1/3 do valor da magnetização de saturação. Além disso, analisamos a curva da desmagnetização adiabática para esse modelo em conexão com o efeito magnetocalórico (EMC). Encontramos que a taxa de desmagnetização adiabática nesse modelo atinge valores muito acima dos encontrados em sistemas paramagnéticos, especialmente nas vizinhanças do campo crítico que separa diferentes estados fundamentais.