Magnetic properties of colloidal suspensions of interacting magnetic particles

TL;DR

This paper reviews the thermodynamic properties of ferrofluids, focusing on magnetization, susceptibility, and phase transitions including gas/liquid and ferromagnetic ordering due to dipolar interactions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of equilibrium magnetic properties and phase transitions in interacting magnetic particle suspensions, emphasizing dipolar effects.

Findings

Analysis of magnetization and susceptibility in ferrofluids

Description of phase transition behaviors including gas/liquid and ferromagnetic transitions

Insights into long-range magnetic order in magnetic suspensions

Abstract

We review equilibrium thermodynamic properties of systems of magnetic particles like ferrofluids in which dipolar interactions play an important role. The review is focussed on two subjects: ({\em i}) the magnetization with the initial magnetic susceptibility as a special case and ({\em ii}) the phase transition behavior. Here the condensation ("gas/liquid") transition in the subsystem of the suspended particles is treated as well as the isotropic/ferromagnetic transition to a state with spontaneously generated long--range magnetic order.