Magnetic recording is presently a $50 billion industry. It spans audio, video, and digi tal applications in the form of tapes and disks. The industry is expected to grow by a factor of five or more in the next decade. This growth will be accompanied by dramatic improvements in the technology, and the potential exists for magnetic-recording den sities to improve by at least one order of magnitude! Magnetic-recording process is accomplished by relative motion between a mag netic head and a magnetic medium. Types of magnetic media for digital recording are: flexible media (tapes and floppy disks) and rigid disks. Physical contact between head and medium occurs during starts and stops and hydrodynamic air film develops at high speeds. Hying heights (mean separation between head and medium) are on the order of 0. 1 micrometer comparable to surface roughness of the mating members. Need for higher and higher recording densities requires that surfaces be as smooth as possible and flying heights be as low as possible. Smoother surfaces lead to increased static/ kinetic friction and wear. In the case of magnetic tapes, in order to have high bit capac ity for a given size of a spool, we like to use as thin a tape substrate as possible. Thinner tapes are prone to local or bulk viscoelastic deformation during storage. This may lead to variations in head-tape separations resulting in problems in data reliability.

Tribology of Magnetic Storage Systems is dedicated to the modern developments in the macro- and microtribology and mechanics of magnetic storage systems. This collection of papers, previously published as Special Issues of the Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the Journal of Engineering Tribology (Part J) makes recent research in this important and rapidly developing area of engineering tribology accessible to industrial and academic researchers world-wide. The need for higher and higher recording densities in the modern magnetic recording process requires that surfaces be as smooth as possible, and flying height be as small as possible, in the interaction between magnetic medium and magnetic head. This presents significant challenges to researchers and designers within the industry. New techniques in atomic force microscopy and friction force microscopy have led to the development of the science of microtribology. Studies within this field are being conducted to enhance understanding of interfacial phenomena in magnetic storage devices.

An up-to-date and comprehensive review of magnetic storage systems, including particulate and rigid media, magnetic heads, tribology, signal processing spintronics, and other, future systems. A thorough theoretical discussion supplements the experimental and technical aspects. Each section commences with a tutorial paper, which is followed by technical discussions of current research in the area. Written at a level suitable for advanced graduate students.