THE MAGNETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF GADOLINIUM, TERBIUM AND YTTERBIUM HYDRIDES IN RELATION TO THE ELECTRONIC NATURE OF THE LANTHANIDE HYDRIDES

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4715669

Wallace, W E; Kubota, Y; Zanowick, R L

Hydrogenation of the heavy larthanides leads to the formation of cubic dihydrides and hexagonal trihydrides, each of which existe over a considerable range of composition. Metallic conduction is exhibited by the dihydrides but not by the trihydrides suggesting that the latter lack conduction electrons. As exchange between the higher localized 4f electrons occurs via the conduction electrons, the magnetic ordering which occurs in the larthanides requires a substantial population of electrons in the conduction band. The lanthanide trihydrides give no indication of magnetic ordering at low temperatures indicating that they lack conduction electrons. Since the atomic moment is essentially unchanged by hydrogenation the number of core electrons is unchanged in the process. From this one concludes that the conduction electrons are absorbed by the dissolving hydrogen to form the H/sup -/ ion and hence the trihydrides are essentially ionic in nature. The dihydrides exhibit metallic conduction and also order at low temperatures. The temperature at which alignment sets in is, however, considerably lower than that for the corresponding metal. This behavior suggests that the dihydrides are similar electronically to the trihydrides except that in the former the conduction band is not completely depopulated and hence the bonding in these hydrides represents an intermediate stage between the metals on the one hand and the truly ionic trihydrides on the other. (auth)

• Research Organization: Pittsburgh. Univ.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-011329
• OSTI ID: 4715669
• Report Number(s): TID-15934
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ABSORPTION
ATOMIC MODELS
EARTH
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRONS
GADOLINIUM HYDRIDES
HYDRIDES
HYDROGENATION
IONS
LATTICES
LOW TEMPERATURE
MAGNETIC MATERIALS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
METALS
PHYSICS
TERBIUM HYDRIDES
YTTERBIUM HYDRIDES