  The evolution of multivariant patterns in thin plates of magnetic shape
memory materials with an applied magnetic field was studied theoretically. A
geometrical domain-model is considered composed of straight stripe-like
martensite variants with constant internal magnetization (high anisotropy
limit) and magnetic domain wall orientation fixed by the twin boundaries.
Through integral transforms of the demagnetization energy, the micromagnetic
energy is cast into a form convenient for direct numerical evaluation and
analytical calculations. The equilibrium geometrical parameters of multivariant
patterns with straight and oblique twin boundaries have been derived as
functions of the applied field and the material parameters of a plate. It is
shown that the oblique multivariant states exist only in plates with
thicknesses L larger than a certain critical value L_0. In samples with L < L_0
a magnetic-field-driven transformation occurs directly between single variant
states.
