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Spin fluctuations in (Ce,Y) CO/sub 2/ and related systems

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6409187

The pseudobinary-alloy systems (Y/sub x/Zr/sub 1-x/)Co/sub 2/, (Y/sub x/Ce/sub 1-x/)Co/sub 2/, and (Ce/sub x/Zr/sub 1-x/)Co/sub 2/, for 0 < x < 1, were studied. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat were measured for these systems. The temperature ranges were: for the electrical resistivity 1.5 to 300 K, for the magnetic susceptibility 6 to 300 K, and for the specific heat 1.5 to 25 K. All three measurements show a rapid falloff of enhancements due to d-electron spin fluctuations as yttrium is replaced by zirconium in the (Y,Zr)Co/sub 2/ system. The variation of both the magnetic susceptibility and the specific heat as one substitutes cerium for yttrium in the (Y,Ce)Co/sub 2/ system is strikingly similar to that observed for (Y,Zr)Co/sub 2/. However, the resistivity of the (Y,Ce)Co/sub 2/ system is markedly different from that observed in (Y,Zr)Co/sub 2/. Measurements done on the (Ce,Zr)Co/sub 2/ system confirm both the similarities between CeCo/sub 2/ and ZrCo/sub 2/ seen in the magnetic susceptibility and specific heat and the difference seen in the resistivity. Of greatest interest to this study is the evolution of the curvature of the temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility, which evolves from an upward bending form in YCo/sub 2/ to a downward bending form in both CeCo/sub 2/ and ZrCo/sub 2/ as predicted by theory.

Research Organization:
Temple Univ., Philadelphia, PA (USA)
OSTI ID:
6409187
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English