Roberts, Andrew P., Zhao, Xiang, Hu, Pengxiang, Abrajevitch, Alexandra, Chen, Yen‐Hua, Harrison, Richard J., Heslop, David, Jiang, Zhaoxia, Li, Jinhua, Liu, Qingsong, Muxworthy, Adrian R., Oda, Hirokuni, O'Neill, Hugh St. C., Pillans, Brad J., and Sato, Tetsuro
Hematite carries magnetic signals of interest in tectonic, paleoclimatic, paleomagnetic, and planetary studies. First‐order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams have become an important tool for assessing the domain state of, and magnetostatic interactions among, magnetic particles in such studies. We present here FORC diagrams for diverse hematite samples, which provide a catalog for comparison with other studies and explain key features observed for hematite. Ridge‐type signatures typical of uniaxial single‐domain particle assemblages and "kidney‐shaped" FORC signatures, and combinations of these responses, occur commonly in natural and synthetic hematite. Asymmetric features that arise from the triaxial basal plane anisotropy of hematite contribute to vertical spreading in kidney‐shaped FORC distributions and are intrinsic responses even for magnetostatically noninteracting particles. The dominant FORC distribution type in a sample (ridge, kidney‐shaped, or mixture) depends on the balance between uniaxial/triaxial switching. The identified signals explain magnetization switching and anisotropy features that are intrinsic to the magnetic properties of hematite and other materials with multiaxial magnetic anisotropy. Plain Language Summary: First‐order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams have become a standard method for identifying the domain state of magnetic materials. It has recently been demonstrated that the magnetic anisotropy type can also be identified using FORC diagrams. The magnetic domain state and anisotropy type of a magnetic mineral control the fidelity of recording of magnetic information, so identifying these features is fundamental to paleomagnetic, rock magnetic, and environmental magnetic studies. Hematite is a naturally abundant magnetic mineral that is encountered commonly in such studies, so it is important to have extensive FORC reference data for this mineral. We present the most comprehensive available FORC study of diverse natural and synthetic hematite samples, including numerical simulation results, to seek to explain key domain state and anisotropy signals for hematite. Key Points: FORC diagrams are presented for diverse natural and synthetic hematite samples to demonstrate domain state and anisotropy signaturesKidney‐shaped FORC distributions are indicative of multiaxial anisotropy and central ridge‐type distributions reflect uniaxial anisotropyThe dominant FORC distribution type depends on the balance between uniaxial and triaxial switching mechanisms [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]