Based on Monte Carlo method, the hysteresis loops for both individual Co nanowires and their array were simulated, and the influence of the strength of the dipolar interaction on the macroscopical magnetic properties of Co nanowire array was investigated. The simulated results indicate that the coercivity approximately increases linearly with the increase of the strength coefficient of the dipolar interaction. The interwire dipole interaction between wires tends to develop a magnetic easy axis perpendicular to the wire axis. In the magnetic reversal process, competition between the interwire dipolar interaction and the shape anisotropy of individual wires which forces the moments to orient along the axis makes the magnetic reversal of the array different from that of individual wire. For applied field parallel to wire axis, the coercivity of nanowire array increases rapidly with the increase of the nearest-neighbor interwire distance, and approximately increases linearly with the increase of the strength coefficient of the dipolar interaction for the fixed diameter and the nearest-neighbor interwire distance. While for applied field perpendicular to wire axis, in contrast, the coercivity decreases with increasing the nearest-neighbor interwire distance, and nearly remains a constant with the increase of the strength coefficient of the dipolar interaction.
