The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic powder, in which the magnetic layer includes an abrasive, the abrasive is a carbide, an average primary particle diameter of the abrasive is 10 nm or more and 100 nm or less, and in an electron microscope image of a surface of the magnetic layer, assuming that a total area occupied by the abrasive is 100%, a ratio of an area occupied by the abrasive present in an aggregated state having a maximum Feret diameter of 0.2 .Math.m or more is 50% or more.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which a thickness of a back coating layer is equal to or smaller than 0.20 μm, a C—H derived C concentration calculated from a C—H peak area ratio of C1s spectra obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis performed on the surface of the back coating layer at a photoelectron take-off angle of 10 degrees, is equal to or greater than 35 atom %, full widths at half maximum of spacing distribution measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer before and after performing a vacuum heating with respect to the magnetic tape are respectively greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 10.0 nm, and a difference between a spacing measured after performing the vacuum heating and a spacing measured before performing the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 8.0 nm.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which a center line average surface roughness Ra measured regarding a surface of a magnetic layer is equal to or smaller than 1.8 nm, logarithmic decrement acquired by a pendulum viscoelasticity test performed regarding the surface of the magnetic layer is equal to or smaller than 0.050, a back coating layer includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of fatty acid and fatty acid amide, and a C—H derived C concentration calculated from a C—H peak area ratio of C1s spectra obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis performed regarding a surface of the back coating layer at a photoelectron take-off angle of 10 degrees is equal to or greater than 35 atom %.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which ferromagnetic powder included in a magnetic layer is ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder having an activation volume equal to or smaller than 1,600 nm.sup.3, the magnetic layer includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of fatty acid and fatty acid amide, and an abrasive, a C—H derived C concentration calculated from a C—H peak area ratio of C1s spectra obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis performed on the surface of the magnetic layer at a photoelectron take-off angle of 10 degrees is equal to or greater than 45 atom %, and a tilt cos θ of the ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder with respect to the surface of the magnetic layer acquired by cross section observation performed by using a scanning transmission electron microscope is 0.85 to 1.00.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which ferromagnetic powder included in a magnetic layer is ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder having an activation volume equal to or smaller than 1,600 nm.sup.3, the magnetic layer includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of fatty acid and fatty acid amide, and an abrasive, a C—H derived C concentration calculated from a C—H peak area ratio of C1s spectra obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis performed on the surface of the magnetic layer at a photoelectron take-off angle of 10 degrees is equal to or greater than 45 atom %, and a tilt cos θ of the ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder with respect to the surface of the magnetic layer acquired by cross section observation performed by using a scanning transmission electron microscope is 0.85 to 1.00.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which the total thickness is equal to or smaller than 5.30 μm, the magnetic layer includes a timing-based servo pattern, a magnetic layer surface Ra is equal to or smaller than 1.8 nm, the magnetic layer includes fatty acid ester, a full width at half maximum of spacing distribution measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer before performing vacuum heating with respect to the magnetic tape is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, a full width at half maximum of spacing distribution measured after performing the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and a difference between a spacing measured after performing the vacuum heating and a spacing measured before performing the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 8.0 nm.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which the total thickness is equal to or smaller than 5.30 μm, the magnetic layer includes a timing-based servo pattern, a magnetic layer surface Ra is equal to or smaller than 1.8 nm, the magnetic layer includes fatty acid ester, a full width at half maximum of spacing distribution measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer before performing vacuum heating with respect to the magnetic tape is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, a full width at half maximum of spacing distribution measured after performing the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and a difference between a spacing measured after performing the vacuum heating and a spacing measured before performing the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 8.0 nm.

The magnetic tape cartridge includes a magnetic tape, and a cartridge reel. In the magnetic tape, a minimum winding deviation occurrence load measured after the magnetic tape is rewound around the cartridge reel by applying a tension of 0.40 N in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape is 300 N or less.

Provided are a magnetic tape including a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder, a magnetic tape cartridge and a magnetic tape apparatus including this magnetic tape. An amount of a fluid lubricant collected by wiping a surface of the magnetic layer by a nonwoven fabric is in a range of 5 to 400 ng/m.sup.2 as a value per unit area of the surface of the magnetic layer.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support; a magnetic layer including ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on one surface side of the non-magnetic support; and a back coating layer including non-magnetic powder and a binding agent on the other surface side of the non-magnetic support, in which an isoelectric point of a surface zeta potential of the magnetic layer is equal to or smaller than 3.8, and an isoelectric point of a surface zeta potential of the back coating layer is equal to or smaller than 3.0, a magnetic tape cartridge, and a magnetic tape apparatus including this magnetic tape.