The relation of the rotational hysteresis integral with the magnetization s
witching mode is experimentally analysed in materials which are subjected t
o different treatments which can modify the magnetization switching mode. A
s expected, the value of the integral depends on the basic processes of mag
netization. They evolve with the evolution of the switching in the expected
way, both when the switching changes from wall motion to rotation of the m
agnetization, and when, in single-domain particles, the rotation occurs wit
h different reversal modes. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser
ved.