An iron-based oxide magnetic particle powder has a narrow particle size distribution a small content of fine particles that do not contribute to magnetic recording characteristics, and a narrow coercive force distribution, to enhance magnetic recording medium density. Neutralizing an aqueous solution containing a trivalent iron ion and an ion of the metal substituting a part of the Fe sites by adding an alkali to make pH of 1.5 or more and 2.5 or less, adding a hydroxycarboxylic acid, and further neutralizing by adding an alkali to make pH of 8.0 or more and 9.0 or less are performed at 5° C. or more and 25° C. or less. A formed iron oxyhydroxide precipitate containing the substituting metal element is rinsed with water, then coated with silicon oxide, and then heated thereby providing e-type iron-based oxide magnetic particle powder. The rinsed precipitate may be subjected to a hydrothermal treatment.

Provided are: a magnetic recording medium including a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic powder, in which the ferromagnetic powder is an ε-iron oxide powder, a vertical switching field distribution SFD of the magnetic recording medium is 0.20 or more and 3.00 or less at a measurement temperature of 25° C., and an inclination of SFD obtained from SFD at a measurement temperature of 10° C., SFD at a measurement temperature of 25° C., and SFD at a measurement temperature of 40° C. is 0.003° C..sup.-1 or more and 0.080° C..sup.-1 or less; a magnetic tape cartridge including the magnetic recording medium which is a magnetic tape; and a magnetic recording and reproducing device including the magnetic recording medium.

Provided are: a magnetic recording medium including a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic powder, in which the ferromagnetic powder is an ε-iron oxide powder, H.sub.0.2 of the magnetic recording medium is 5,000 Oe or more and 40,000 Oe or less at a measurement temperature of 25° C., and an inclination of H.sub.0.2 obtained from H.sub.0.2 at a measurement temperature of 10° C., H.sub.0.2 at a measurement temperature of 25° C., and H.sub.0.2 at a measurement temperature of 40° C. is −100 Oe/° C. or more and −5 Oe/° C. or less; a magnetic tape cartridge including the magnetic recording medium which is a magnetic tape; and a magnetic recording and reproducing device including the magnetic recording medium.

A method of producing a magnetic powder includes: performing heat treatment on first particles that contain triiron tetraoxide to prepare second particles that contain ε-iron oxide.

Provided are a magnetic recording medium including: a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer which is provided on at least one surface of the non-magnetic support and includes particles of epsilon type iron oxide-based compound, and a binding agent, in which a contact angle measured regarding a surface of the magnetic layer is equal to or greater than 30.0° and smaller than 45.0° with respect to 1-bromonaphthalene and 80.0° to 95.0° with respect to water, a manufacturing method of particles of an epsilon iron oxide-based compound, and a manufacturing method of a magnetic recording medium.

The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder, in which the ferromagnetic powder is a ferromagnetic powder selected from the group consisting of a hexagonal strontium ferrite powder and an ε-iron oxide powder, the number of recesses having a depth which is ⅓ or more of a minimum recording bit length existing on a surface of the magnetic layer is less than 10/10,000 μm.sup.2, and a ratio d/t.sub.mag of a value d which is ⅓ of the minimum recording bit length to a thickness t.sub.mag of the magnetic layer is 0.15 to 0.50.

A magnetic recording medium, which is used in a recording and playback device in which the shortest recording wavelength is 75 nm or less, in which the magnetic recording medium has a recording layer including powder of ε-iron oxide-containing particles, the average particle size of the particles is 22 nm or less, the coercive force He is 220 kA/m or more and 320 kA/m or less, and the non linear transition shift is 20% or less.

Provided is a recording device. The recording device includes: an external magnetic field application unit that is configured to apply an external magnetic field to a magnetic recording medium; a light irradiation unit that is configured to irradiate light; and a light focusing unit that is configured to focus the light from the light irradiation unit by resonating the light to generate an enhanced magnetic field in which a magnetic field of the light is enhanced, in which magnetization of the magnetic recording medium is inverted by applying the external magnetic field and the enhanced magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium.

A magnetic recording medium including a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder. The ferromagnetic powder is an ε-iron oxide powder, and a ratio of Hr (45°) to Hr (0°)(Hr (45°)/Hr (0°)) is 0.50 or less. The Hr (0°) is a residual coercive force Hr obtained by applying a pulse magnetic field having a pulse width of 0.76 ms in an in-plane direction of the magnetic recording medium, and the Hr (45°) is a residual coercive force Hr obtained by setting an angle of the magnetic recording medium in the in-plane direction to 0°, setting an angle of the magnetic recording medium in a vertical direction to 90°, and making a pulse magnetic field having a pulse width of 0.76 ms be incident from a direction inclined by 45° toward the vertical direction from the in-plane direction and applying the pulse magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium.

Provided is a magnetic recording medium that is able to achieve both an improvement in electromagnetic conversion characteristics and ensuring of high long-term reliability. The magnetic recording medium includes a magnetic layer and a base. The magnetic layer includes magnetic powders including ε-iron oxide. A ratio (Hrp/Hc) of residual coercivity (Hrp) measured in a perpendicular direction of the magnetic recording medium with use of a pulse magnetic field to perpendicular coercivity (Hc) of the magnetic recording medium is 2.0 or less. Saturation magnetization (Mst) per unit area of the magnetic recording medium is 4.5 mA or greater.