The Bloch point 3D topological charge induced by the magnetostatic interaction

A hedgehog or Bloch point is a point-like 3D magnetization configuration in a ferromagnet. Regardless of widely spread treatment of a Bloch point as a topological defect, its 3D topological charge has never been calculated. Here, applying the concepts of the emergent magnetic field and Dirac string, we calculate the 3D topological charge (Hopf index) of a Bloch point and show that due to the magnetostatic energy contribution it has a finite, non-integer value. Thus, Bloch points form a new class of hopfions—3D topological magnetization configurations. The calculated Bloch point non-zero gyrovector leads to important dynamical consequences such as the appearance of topological Hall effect.

Are fast radio bursts made by neutron stars?

ABSTRACT Popular models of repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs; and perhaps of all FRBs) involve neutron stars because of their high rotational or magnetostatic energy densities. These models take one of two forms: giant but rare pulsar-like pulses like those of rotating radio transients, and outbursts like those of soft gamma repeaters. Here I collate the evidence, recently strengthened, against these models, including the absence of Galactic micro-FRBs, and attribute the 16 d periodicity of FRB 180916.J0158+65 to the precession of a jet produced by a massive black hole’s accretion disc.

Application of Micromagnetic Models for Barium Ferrite Magnets

The applicability of micromagnetics for phases with high magnetocrystalline anisotropy as barium ferrite Ba2Fe12O19and Nd2Fe14B is discussed. The Stoner-Wohlfarth model is very suitable for such phases, and also for PtFe and PtCo. It was discussed how to take into account the total energy of the system for grain size above the single domain particle size. For this situation of large grain size, the net magnetostatic energy of the system cannot be neglected. From energy considerations, it follows that the coercive force should decrease with the inverse of the square root of the grain size.

The origin of noise and magnetic hysteresis in crystalline permalloy ring-core fluxgate sensors

Developed in the 1960s for use in high-performance ring-core fluxgate sensors, 6–81.3 Mo permalloy remains the state of the art for permalloy-cored fluxgate magnetometers. The magnetic properties of 6–81.3, namely magnetocrystalline and magnetoelastic anisotropies and saturation induction, are all optimum in the Fe–Ni–Mo system. In such polycrystalline permalloy fluxgate sensors, a single phenomenon may cause both fluxgate noise and magnetic hysteresis; explain Barkhausen jumps, remanence and coercivity; and avoid domain denucleation. This phenomenon, domain wall reconnection, is presented as part of a theoretical model. In the unmagnetized state a coarse-grain high-quality permalloy foil ideally forms stripe domains, which present at the free surface as parallel, uniformly spaced domain walls that cross the entire thickness of the foil. Leakage flux "in" and "out" of alternating domains is a requirement of the random orientation, grain by grain, of magnetic easy axes' angles with respect to the foil free surface. Its magnetostatic energy together with domain wall energy determines an energy budget to be minimized. Throughout the magnetization cycle the free-surface domain pattern remains essentially unchanged, due to the magnetostatic energy cost such a change would elicit. Thus domain walls are "pinned" to free surfaces. Driven to saturation, domain walls first bulge then reconnect via Barkhausen jumps to form a new domain configuration that I have called "channel domains", which are attached to free surfaces. The approach to saturation now continues as reversible channel domain compression. Driving the permalloy deeper into saturation compresses the channel domains to arbitrarily small thickness, but will not cause them to denucleate. Returning from saturation the channel domain structure will survive through zero H, thus explaining remanence. The Barkhausen jumps, being irreversible exothermic events, are sources of fluxgate noise powered by the energy available from domain wall reconnection. A simplified domain energy model can then provide a predictive relation between ring-core magnetic properties and fluxgate sensor noise power. Four properties are predicted to affect noise power, two of which are well known: saturation total magnetic flux density and magnetic anisotropy. The two additional properties are easy axes alignment and foil thickness. Flux density and magnetic anisotropy are primary magnetic properties determined by an alloy's chemistry and crystalline lattice properties. Easy axes alignment and foil thickness are secondary, geometrical properties related to an alloy's polycrystalline fabric and manufacture. Improvements to fluxgate noise performance can in principle be achieved by optimizing any of these four properties in such a way as to minimize magnetostatic energy. Fluxgate signal power is proportional to B − H loop curvature [d2B/dH2]. The degree to which Barkhausen jumps coincide with loop curvature is a measure of noise that accompanies the fluxgate signal. B − H loops with significant curvature beyond the open hysteresis loop may be used to advantage to acquire the fluxgate signal with reduced noise.

The origin of noise and magnetic hysteresis in crystalline permalloy ring-core fluxgate sensors

6-81.3 Mo permalloy, developed in the 1960s for use in high performance ring-core fluxgate sensors, remains the state-of-the-art for permalloy-cored fluxgate magnetometers. The magnetic properties of 6-81.3, namely magnetocrystalline and magnetoelastic anisotropies and saturation induction are all optimum in the Fe–Ni–Mo system. In such polycrystalline permalloy fluxgate sensors a single phenomenon may cause both fluxgate noise and magnetic hysteresis, explain Barkhausen jumps, remanence and coercivity, and avoid domain denucleation. The phenomenon, domain wall reconnection, is presented as part of a theoretical model. In the unmagnetized state a coarse-grain high-quality permalloy foil ideally forms stripe domains, which present at the free surface as parallel, uniformly spaced domain walls that cross the entire thickness of the foil. Leakage flux "in" and "out" of alternating domains is a requirement of the random orientation, grain-by-grain, of magnetic easy axes' angles with respect to the foil free surface. Its magnetostatic energy together with domain wall energy determines an energy budget to be minimized. Throughout the magnetization cycle the free surface domain pattern remains essentially unchanged, due to the magnetostatic energy cost such a change would elicit. Thus domain walls are "pinned" to free surfaces. Driven to saturation, domain walls first bulge then reconnect via Barkhausen jumps to form a new domain configuration this author has called "channel domains", that are attached to free surfaces. The approach to saturation now continues as reversible channel domain compression. Driving the permalloy deeper into saturation compresses the channel domains to arbitrarily small thickness, but will not cause them to denucleate. Returning from saturation the channel domain structure will survive through zero H, thus explaining remanence. The Barkhausen jumps being irreversible exothermic events are sources of fluxgate noise, powered by the energy available from domain wall reconnection. A simplified domain energy model can then provide a predictive relation between ring core magnetic properties and fluxgate sensor noise power. Four properties are predicted to affect noise power, two of which, are well known: saturation total magnetic flux density and magnetic anisotropy. The two additional properties are easy axes alignment and foil thickness. Flux density and magnetic anisotropy are primary magnetic properties determined by an alloy's chemistry and crystalline lattice properties. Easy axes alignment and foil thickness are secondary, geometrical properties related to an alloy's polycrystalline fabric and manufacture. Improvements to fluxgate noise performance can in principle be achieved by optimizing any of these four properties in such a way as to minimize magnetostatic energy. Fluxgate signal power is proportional to B–H loop curvature (d2B/dH2). The degree to which Barkhausen jumps coincide with loop curvature is a measure of noise that accompanies fluxgate signal. B–H loops with significant curvature beyond the open hysteresis loop may be used to advantage to acquire fluxgate signal with reduced noise.

Effect of Magnetostatic Energy on the Magnetic Driving Forces and Field Induced Superelastic Behavior in Ni-Mn-Ga

Present publication gives a general theoretical concept and also presents the relevant experimental results concerning the effect of the magnetostatic coupling between the twin layers on the magnetic-field-controlled superelastic behavior during the mechanical cycling in magnetic field in Ni-Mn-Ga.