IMPLICATIONS OF MAGNETIC AND MAGNETOELASTIC MEASUREMENTS FOR THE DOMAIN-STRUCTURE OF FESIB AMORPHOUS WIRES

The field-dependence of magnetization, Young's modulus and magnetostri ction have been used to investigate the domain structure of FeSiB amor phous wires. The experimental observations of the as-cast wire are exp lained in terms of a modified core-shell model in which the shell is m agnetized in a series of domains oriented approximately perpendicular to the wire axis and the magnetization in the core is oriented at an a verage angle of about 440 to the wire axis. The presence of reverse sp ike domains in the core at the ends of the wire is also suggested. The critical length below which magnetic bistability is lost may be assoc iated with these reverse domains. The behaviour of wires annealed at 4 25-degrees-C can be interpreted in terms of a similar model, except th at the core volume and the length of the reverse spike domains are inc reased and the average magnetic moment angle in the core is decreased.