A study of ordering of a ferrogel magnetic phase by polarized neutrons

For the first time, a ferrogel was studied with the use of polarized neutro ns. The ferrogel was a crosslinked polymer (saturated with H2O until swelli ng reached equilibrium) containing subdomain particles of Fe3O4, which are able to form structures in a magnetic held. The particles were incorporated into the macromolecular network during the synthesis. A correlation of the particles at distances on the order of their diameter Dp approximate to 30 nm was observed in the initial ferrogel under the action of a weak field o f B = 0.0065 T as the interference of nuclear and magnetic scattering. The correlation resulted from the particle dipole coupling fixed by the network . Magnetization of the gel in the field at B = 0.4 T tends to intensify the scattering and interference that indicated structuring of the magnetic pha se over tau approximate to 4 x 10(4) s depending on the particle mobility i n the network, whose effective viscosity was similar to 10(5) times higher than that of water. The magnetic order, which was detected by the interfere nce of the scattered neutrons, disappeared upon eliminating the field. The particle structures induced by the field were more stable and actually did not alter for 6 h after elimination of the field.