Investigation of the second transition in U sub 1 minus x Th sub x Be sub 13

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.44.6921· OSTI ID:5097178

Kim, J S; Andraka, B; Stewart, G R ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (USA)

We have prepared extremely high-purity samples of U{sub 0.97}Th{sub 0.03}Be{sub 13} and U{sub 0.962}Th{sub 0.038}Be{sub 13} and conducted a study of the specific heat in zero field on the as-prepared and annealed samples. In addition we have measured the low-temperature specific heat of the 3 at. % Th sample in 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 2, and 3 T magnetic fields in order to accurately determine {ital H}{sub {ital c}2}{sup {prime}} for both transitions. The high-purity unannealed 3.8 at. % Th samples show larger and sharper transitions than previously reported; annealing further improves the transitions such that {Delta}{ital C}({ital T}{sub {ital c}2}) for the 3 at. % Th sample is more than twice as large as previously reported, with {ital T}{sub {ital c}2} being approximately the same. A {gamma} value of 2300 mJ/mol K{sup 2} for U{sub 0.97}Th{sub 0.03}Be{sub 13} is derived from entropy considerations and the 0-field and 3-T specific- heat data. The separation between the two transitions is significantly improved with annealing--{Delta}{ital C}({ital T}{sub {ital c}1}), which is essentially only a shoulder on {Delta}{ital C}({ital T}{sub {ital c}2}) for unannealed 3.8 at. % Th samples, becomes a clearly distinct transition upon annealing.

• DOE Contract Number: FG05-86ER45268
• OSTI ID: 5097178
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States) Vol. 44:13; ISSN PRBMD; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104 -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
656100* -- Condensed Matter Physics-- Superconductivity
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ALLOY SYSTEMS
ALLOYS
ANNEALING
BERYLLIUM ALLOYS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
HEAT TREATMENTS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SPECIFIC HEAT
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TERNARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THORIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM ALLOYS