Mechanical assembly of a Vibrating Wire Susceptometer specially designed for high temperatures

The vibrating wire susceptometer (VWS) represents a recent answer to the demand for high-sensitivity measurement of the magnetic susceptibility at high temperatures. This method is based on the principle of the mechanical resonance of a thin metallic wire, a condition that is produced through the magnetic interaction between the sample and an alternate field gradient. A prototype of the VWS particularly suitable for measurements above room temperatures is described, with particular emphasis on the details of mechanical assembly. Furthermore an estimate is made of the calibration constant of the instrument, aimed at absolute susceptibility measurements.