The Direct Separation of the Reversible and Irreversible Components of the Magnetothermal Effect

A new method is described for separating reversible and irreversible components of the magnetothermal effect by carrying out small, `backward' increments in magnetization at given points on the hysteresis cycle. With the sensitivity of the existing apparatus this method is of limited application, but with increased sensitivity it could be applied generally. Results for the reversible and irreversible heat changes measured with a cobalt specimen, confirm that if reversible thermal effects alone are measured, the b'' coefficient, as defined in the Stoner and Rhodes theory, remains constant over the hysteresis cycle.