An approach for the rotational dynamics of magnetic particles and their magnetic moments, in fluid suspensions, is developed. A possible application is to magnetic resonance in ferrofluids. Based on a generalized Lagrangian formulation for the equations of motion of the particle, we introduce its interaction with the solvent fluid via dissipative and random noise torques, as well as the interaction between the particle and its magnetic moment, treated as an independent physical entity and characterized by three generalized coordinates: its two polar angles and its modulus. In the appropriate limits, it reduces to the cases of superparamagnetic particles or nonsuperparamagnetic (blocked magnetic moments) particles. It is also indicated how the dynamic complex susceptibility may be calculated from the equations of motion, and as an example the effect of the particles inertia on the susceptibility is numerically evaluated for some arbitrary values of the parameters.

• Received 12 November 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.63.011504