Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Magnetic fields and Storage Devices

On 11/24/2003 08:22 AM, J. Green wrote:
I was wondering the other day how big of a magnetic field would be
needed to "erase" a magnetic storage device (floppy, removable tape,
hard drive, etc...).

As long as "etc." doesn't include MO (magneto-optical)
devices, the coercivity of present-day media is typically
1700 Oersteds or less. So that sets the order-of-magnitude
of interest. Be aware that this is a moving target,
since they keep inventing higher-coercivity media.

> Does anyone have any experience or idea?

The NSA has some experience and some very specific
ideas about this.
http://www.google.com/search?q=NSA+degausser