Theoretical models for the relationship between magnetic anisotropy and strain: effect of triaxial magnetic grains

The movements of individual triaxial particles in some models of deformed r ocks are in general much more complex than the movements of spheroidal part icles. However, the presented magnetic anisotropy to strain models consider ing multiparticle systems of triaxial magnetic particles show very similar results to the models that consider a mixture of prolate and oblate spheroi dal particles. We explain this observation by assuming that even though the movements of individual triaxial particles are very complex, the multipart icle system as a whole 'averages out' in some way the movements, and the re sulting magnetic anisotropy tensor does not differ very much from the tenso r of the model considering a mixture of prolate and oblate spheroids. The m agnetic anisotropy vs. strain models are therefore much more robust than th e standard fabric vs. strain models. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rig hts reserved.