A Fundamental Investigation of the Magnetic Head-Medium Interaction of the Magnetic Recording Process: This award recommendation is made under the U.S.-Industrialized Countries Program for the Exchange of Scientists and Engineers, 1987/1988 Competition. The program is designed to enable U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct long-term research at research institutions in the industrialized countries of Western Europe as well as Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Exchange awards provide opportunities for the conduct of joint research and the utilization of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions in foreign countries. Awards are selected on the basis of scientific criteria relevant to his/her field of science, the prospective potential of the applicants for professional growth, as well as criteria relevant to the furthering of international cooperation in science and engineering. The program is particularly directed to scientists and engineers who are embarking on their research careers. This project addresses questions of the fundamental understanding of the magnetic recording process. Specifically, the work will entail the utilization of miniature transducers which include a micro-inductive sensor (micro-loop) and a magnetoresistive gradiometer (MRG) which were fabricated using microlithography. These devices will be applied to the study of a flexible medium magnetic recording system. The project is under the direction of Dr. Ronald S. Indeck, Research Assistant, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Minnesota at St. Paul MN, and Professor Shun-ichi Iwasaki, Director, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tokohu University, Sendai, Japan. This award recommendation provides funds to cover, as appropriate, international travel, local travel abroad, stipend, dependents allowance, if applicable, language training, if required, and a flat administrative allowance of $250 for the U.S. home institution.