Eddy current generated around a magnetic circuit in an MRI apparatus is
one of the causes of deviation from an ideal magnetic field gradient
waveform and causes image distortion, loss of strength, ghost generation,
loss of signal, and spectral distortion. An object of the present
invention is to suppress the generation of the eddy current. In an MRI
apparatus, a ferromagnetic material formed from powder is used in a part
of a magnetic circuit: the powder mainly comprising a mother phase
containing iron or cobalt and showing ferromagnetism; and a
high-resistance layer having a resistance not less than ten times as high
as the mother phase and a Vickers hardness lower than that of the mother
phase being formed in layers along parts of the surface of the powder on
parts or the entire of the surface.