Vibrating Sample/Alternating Gradient Magnetometer (VSM/AGM) System

• Subject Area: Geophysics and Geodesy
• Term: Funded in 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 240804805

Magnetic properties are extremely useful to help understand the genesis and subsequent history of geomaterials. A number of magnetic properties (Curie temperature, etc.) facilitate the unique identification of each magnetic mineral. Moreover, these same properties are sensitive to composition/oxidation state, strain (pressure), size and shape. Knowledge of these Parameters is crucial when interpreting complex Systems typically encountered in the Earth and planetary sciences. To fully extract this Information, one often needs to measure the magnetizations of small (<50 mm ) samples under variable applied magnetic fields, under a wide range of temperatures (-269°C to 800°C) and in different atmospheres (air, argon, etc.). The most sensitive, versatile, easy to use, commercially-available instrument to carry out such work is a combination of vibrating sample magnetometer and alternating gradient magnetometer (VSM+AGM). It is this combined instrument we wish to purchase. The need to perform sophisticated magnetic characterization is important not only to the Magnetism Group in Geophysics, but touches on the research of all five sections in the Earth andEnvironmental Sciences Department at LMU, as well as collaboration partners at LMU-Microbiology and TUM Nuclear Astrophysics. This instrument would significantly augment our capabilities to carry out a wide range of on-going research.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Vibrating Sample/Alternating Gradient Magnetometer (VSM/AGM) System
• Instrumentation Group: 0150 Geräte zur Messung der magnetischen Materialeigenschaften
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Leader: Professor Dr. Stuart Alan Gilder