ELECTRONIC PROCESSES IN MAGNETITE (MAGNET ITE MYSTERIES)

For a long time in spite of a great number of undertaken investigation s the properties of magnetite at the low temperature transformation T( t) = 100-120 K in many respects uncertain and even mysterious. In this review on the base of consideration of the temperature peculiarities and field dependences of spontaneous magnetization, magnetoresistance, magnetothermal effect as well as anomalies of magnetic anisotropy and magnetostriction caused by the electron process accompanied by anomal ies of magnetic saturation characteristics at the range near T(t) a ne w model of low temperature transition in a magnetite is given. This mo del of the ''magnetic-electron'' transition is in agreement with exper imental data, which are not accounted by the known Vervey model of the ''structure-electron'' transition.