The Physics of Magnetic Recording

Twenty-six years have passed since the first printing of this book. Many important new developments occurred in the meantime in magnetic recording technologies. Tape recording, the main subject of the book, is still the most important method, although others have emerged and have seen rapid development. While new materials found application in magnetic tapes, the principles that magnetic recording and reproducing systems are based on are unchanged. Magnetic recording can be accomplished in many ways, although two specific methods have undergone extensive developments. These methods may be categorized as static magnetic memories used for limited information storage in computers, where the speed of information retrieval must be high, and moving media magnetic storage devices. Although, in general, the two magnetic recording methods are quite different, they do have certain similarities. ``The Physics of Magnetic Recording'' concentrates on the magnetic aspects of tape recording and the purpose is to review the models for these magnetization processes and the application to the magnetic recording process.
 
Twenty-six years have passed since the first printing of this book. Many important new developments occurred in the meantime in magnetic recording technologies. Tape recording, the main subject of the book, is still the most important method, although others have emerged and have seen rapid development. While new materials found application in magnetic tapes, the principles that magnetic recording and reproducing systems are based on are unchanged. Magnetic recording can be accomplished in many ways, although two specific methods have undergone extensive developments. These methods may be categorized as static magnetic memories used for limited information storage in computers, where the speed of information retrieval must be high, and moving media magnetic storage devices. Although, in general, the two magnetic recording methods are quite different, they do have certain similarities. ``The Physics of Magnetic Recording'' concentrates on the magnetic aspects of tape recording and the purpose is to review the models for these magnetization processes and the application to the magnetic recording process.