Magnetic to nonmagnetic behavior in U(Sn,Pb)/sub 3/

Journal Article · Mon Apr 15 00:00:00 EST 1985 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.335185· OSTI ID:5784998

Lin, C L; Zhou, L W; Crow, J E; Guertin, R P

The magnetic to nonmagnetic transition in actinide alloys and intermetallic compounds is attributable to the delocalization of the 5f electrons due to an increase in the f-f overlap and/or f-spd hybridization. USn/sub 3/ is paramagnetic at all temperatures and appears to be very near the border between magnetic and nonmagnetic behavior. In contrast, UPb/sub 3/ has an antiferromagnetic transition at 31 K and the 5f electrons appear to be highly localized. Both of these systems have sufficiently large U-U separations to expect that f-spd hybridization is the major contributing factor to the delocalization of the 5f electrons. The room temperature lattice constant and the temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity have been measured for the U(Sn/sub 1-x/Pb/sub x/)/sub 3/ system to examine the salient features associated with the onset of long range magnetic behavior in this system. The room temperature lattice constant follows Vegard's Law from USn/sub 3/ to UPb/sub 3/ and thus indicates no significant change in the degree of localization of the 5f electrons. Upon substitution of Sn for Pb in UPb/sub 3/ (i.e., decreasing x), the Neel temperature T/sub N/ initially increases to 38 K at x = 0.7 then decreases and appears to go to zero between x = 0.0 and x = 0.1. Also, the spin fluctuation temperature T/sub sf/ for the USn/sub 3/ rich alloys (i.e., x < 0.60) decreases with increasing x.

• Research Organization: Physics Department, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
• OSTI ID: 5784998
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 57:8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
URANIUM ALLOYS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
LATTICE PARAMETERS
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY
NEEL TEMPERATURE
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SPIN
TIN ALLOYS
LEAD ALLOYS
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
F STATES
FLUCTUATIONS
HYBRIDIZATION
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIZATION
PARAMAGNETISM
PRESSURE EFFECTS
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ALLOYS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY LEVELS
MAGNETISM
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
VARIATIONS
360104* - Metals &amp; Alloys- Physical Properties