n.
A transition temperature marking a change in the magnetic or ferroelectric properties of a substance, especially the change from ferromagnetism to paramagnetism. Also called Curie temperature.
[After Pierre CURIE.]
| Dictionary: Curie point |
A transition temperature marking a change in the magnetic or ferroelectric properties of a substance, especially the change from ferromagnetism to paramagnetism. Also called Curie temperature.
[After Pierre CURIE.]
| 5min Related Video: Curie point |
| Computer Desktop Encyclopedia: Curie point |
The temperature at which the molecules of a material can be altered when subjected to a magnetic field. In optical material, it is approximately 200 degrees Celsius. See magneto-optic disk.
Download Computer Desktop Encyclopedia to your iPhone/iTouch
| WordNet: Curie point |
The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
the temperature above which a ferromagnetic substance loses its ferromagnetism
Synonym: Curie temperature
| Wikipedia: Curie point |
| This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007) |
The Curie point (Tc), or Curie temperature, is a term in physics and materials science, named after Pierre Curie (1859-1906), and refers to a characteristic property of a ferromagnetic or piezoelectric material.
Contents |
The Curie point of a ferromagnetic material is the temperature above which it loses its characteristic ferromagnetic ability (768°C or 1414 °F for iron). At temperatures below the Curie point the magnetic moments are partially aligned within magnetic domains in ferromagnetic materials. As the temperature is increased towards the Curie point, the alignment (magnetization) within each domain decreases. Above the Curie point, the material is purely paramagnetic and there are no magnetized domains of aligned moments.
At temperatures above the Curie point, an applied magnetic field has a paramagnetic effect on the magnetization, but the combination of paramagnetism with ferromagnetism leads to the magnetization following a hysteresis curve with the applied field strength. The destruction of magnetization at the Curie temperature is a second-order phase transition and a critical point where the magnetic susceptibility is theoretically infinite.
One application of this effect is in magneto-optical storage media, where it is used for erasing and writing of new data. Famous examples include the Sony Minidisc format, as well as the defunct CD-MO format.
Other uses include temperature control in soldering irons such as those made by Metcal and the Weller WTCPT and, in general, where a temperature-controlled magnetization is desirable.
In analogy to ferromagnetic materials, the Curie temperature is also used in piezoelectric materials to describe the temperature above which the material loses its spontaneous polarization and piezoelectric characteristics. In lead zirconate titanate (PZT), the material is tetragonal below Tc and the unit cell contains a displaced central cation and hence a net dipole moment. Above Tc, the material is cubic and the central cation is no longer displaced from the centre of the unit cell. Hence, there is no net dipole moment and no spontaneous polarization.
Curie-Weiss law k = C / (T − Weiss constant)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| Ac2 (metallurgy) | |
| Ac0 (metallurgy) | |
| critical magnetic scattering (solid-state physics) |
Copyrights:
![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. THIS COPYRIGHTED DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher. © 1981-2009 Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Curie point". Read more |
Mentioned in