Magnetic coercivity and ferromagnetic species in lunar materials

Lunar samples have reduced coercive force, high values of R sub H (ratio of remanent coercive force to coercive force), and constriction in their magnetic hysteresis loops due to the presence of superparamagnetic and multidomain iron grains. The high R sub H values are also attributable to the magnetic shape effects of the iron grains. Spheres, cubes, and needles, as well as more irregular metal grains were observed. The coercive force values are quite meaningless unless the size and shape distributions are determined. The R sub H and the ratio of saturation remanence to saturation magnetization values can be considered characteristic of the size and shape modes of the ferromagnetic grains in a natural sample, and a classification of natural materials based on their hysteresis characteristics is presented with special reference to lunar samples.