Effect of a magnetic field on the yield point of NaCl crystals

A constant magnetic field is found to have a substantial effect on the macroplasticity of NaCl crystals when they are being actively strained at a constant rate during magnetic treatment. We have measured the dependence of the yield point σ _y on the magnetic induction B=0–0.48 T and the strain rate . It is shown that this magnetic effect has a threshold character and is observed only for B>B _c , where B _c grows with increasing as . The lower the strain rate , the larger the relative decrease in the yield point σ _y (B)/σ _y (0) at fixed field B>B _c . At small enough strain rates the threshold field B _c ceases to depend on and goes constant. A theoretical model is proposed which is in good agreement with the observed regularities. The model is based on the competition between thermally activated and magnetically stimulated depinning of dislocations from paramagnetic impurity centers. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 951–958 (March 1999)