Crystal field in the CeAl3 heavy-fermion compound

An analysis of inelastic neutron scattering in the CeAl₃ heavy fermion compound is presented. Using single-crystal magnetic-susceptibility and inelastic neutron scattering data, an unambiguous solution for the set of parameters of the electric crystal field Hamiltonian is obtained: B ₂ ⁰ = (5.8 ± 0.2) × 10^?2 meV and B ₄ ⁰ = (2.3 ± 0.1) × 10^?2 meV. The energy level scheme for the ground-state multiplet of the Ce³⁺ ion in CeAl₃ consists of the ground level Γ₉?±3/2〉 and two doublets Γ₈?±5/2〉 and Γ₇?±1/2〉 having close energies of ～6.3 meV at a temperature of 20 K. As follows from comparing the crystal-field parameters in the RAl₃ series (R = Ce, Pr, Nd), the fact that the parameters A ₂ ⁰ 〈r ²〉 and A ₄ ⁰ 〈r ⁴〉 in CeAl₃ differ significantly in value from the respective parameters in PrAl₃ and NdAl₃ cannot be explained in terms of the lattice constants of these isostructural compounds being different but rather is due to the enhanced hybridization of the localized 4f electrons of cerium with conduction electrons.     

“Crystal fields” for magnetic ions in metals from itinerant electrons

The interaction of conduction electrons with host ions are shown to give rise to “crystal fields”, V_C, which act on the magnetic ion in some dilute magnetic alloys. Crystal fields, V_N, arising directly from ions neighbouring the magnetic ion have been compared with V_C to show that the overall crystal field splitting from all 3d magnetic ions in axial symmetries is enhanced by the p-like character of V_C. A⁰₄〈r⁴〉 from V_N is also increased by the d-component of V_C. The angular properties of itinerant electron states give rise to the above results. For all rare-earth ions in fcc symmetry the radial and angular components of conduction-electron states with mainly d, but also f character, are shown to give rise to a reversal in sign of A⁰₄〈r⁴〉 from V_N. A⁰₆〈r⁶〉 is enhanced by the f component of the conduction electrons.     

5d and 4ƒ mixing coefficients for rare earth ions in the pure metals and in silver and gold

The contribution to the crystalline electric field (C.E.F.) parameters from 4? character in the conduction electric wave function has been calculated, without the use of mixing coefficients ?_?, for rare earth ions in gold and silver and for the heavy rare earth metals. From experiment we have deduced the value of mixing coefficient ?_d in each case and used this to predict other C.E.F. potentials.Not only can the theory account well for the fact that the observed A₄⁰〈r⁴〉 coefficient is opposite in sign from that calculated using a lattice sum point charge model, in silver and gold, but the absolute value of A₆⁰〈r⁶〉, calculated without the use of any variable parameters, agrees well with experimental values.     

Crystalline fields,exchange interactions and spin reorientations in TmxHo1−xFe2 systems,studied by a Yb170 Mössbauer probe

Mössbauer studies of the 84.3 keV gamma ray of Yb¹⁷⁰ emitted from Yb in Tm_xHo_1?xFe₂ at various temperatures were performed. These yield the crystalline field parameters (A₄〈r⁴〉 = 36 ± 5 K, A₆〈r⁶〉 = -3 ± 2K, the exchange field (μ_BH_exch = 116 ± 4 K) and the Yb³⁺ free ion hyperfine constants (H_4f = 4100 ± 150 kOe, eqQ = 2400 ± 250 MHz and H (conduction electrons) = 350±100 kOe). Spin relaxation phenomena observed in TmFe₂ at low temperatures give a value of ～ 0.03 for |?(E_F)J_sf|. Spectra observed in Tm_0.2Ho_0.8Fe₂ in the spin reorientation transition region indicate that the transition is of second order.     

Crystal field splitting of Pr3+ in PrAl2 investigated by inelastic neutron scattering

We report the.results of an experimental determination of the crystal field splitting of Pr³⁺ in PrAl₂ by means of inelastic neutron scattering. For the crystal field parameters we obtain B₄ = (47.2 ± 4.0) × 10^?4 meV and B₆ = ? (156 ± 12) × 10^?6 meV.     

Electric and magnetic hyperfinestructure investigations in the 5s 25p 3 and 5s 25p 26s Configurations of121, 123Sb

Optical hyperfinestructure investigations in several spectral lines were carried out in the Sb-I spectrum from which for the first time accurate values of the hfs-splitting constantsA andB of the ground configuration 5p ³ and also for five of the eight levels of the first excited configuration 5p ²6s were obtained. With these parameters the influence of core polarization effects is calculated to bea _c= ?6.6(4) mK, (equivalent to a magnetic field of ?283(20) kG perp-electron spin). The quadrupole momentQ ₁₂₁= ?0.36(4) b (including Sternheimer correction) was obtained with the experimental valuesb _3/2= ?14.3(1.0) mK and 〈r ^?3〉 =11.2(3) a.u. andQ ₁₂₃= ?0.49(5) b withb _3/2= ?19.9(1.0) mK resp. This evaluation also yields the relativistic correction factor η= ?(C″/C′) · S _r/R′ _r=1.13(2). —For the first time, too, isotope shift investigations in Sb-I lines were possible which permit to determine the isotope shift constant βC _exp= 40(10) mK, and a value δ〈r ²〉^{121, 123}=0.12(4) fm² for the change in the mean square nuclear charge radius between¹²¹Sb and¹²³Sb which is about 50 percent of the prediction of the unified nuclear model.     

Neutron scattering investigation of the magnetic ground state of PrO2

We report on a series of neutron experiments on stoichiometric PrO₂. The material, which has the cubic CaF₂ structure, orders antiferromagnetically at 14 K with a type I magnetic structure as found in UO₂. The ordered moment is 0.6 ± 0.1 μ_B/Pr atom. No lattice distortion has been observed below T_N with a high-resolution neutron-diffraction experiment. Neutron inelastic scattering at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source, Argonne National Laboratory, has been used to determine the crystal-field splitting of 130 ± 5 meV between the Γ₈ ground state and the Γ₇ excited state of the $\text{J =}\text{5}\text{2}$ multiplet. This represents the first direct observation of a crystal-field splitting in the rare-earth or actinide dioxides, and the largest such electronic splitting ever observed by neutron scattering. We propose that the ground state of PrO₂ is the Γ₈ quartet with the degeneracy lifted by a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect. The A₄〈r⁴〉 crystal field potential term for PrO₂ is - (57 ± 3) meV, and the significance of this determination for other oxides is discussed.     

Parity violation in the 17/2− isomer of93Tc

The parity-violating mixing of the 17/2^? and 17/2⁺ levels in⁹³Tc nuclei, polarized by the tilted multifoil interaction, was measured by the observation of the forwardbackwardγ-ray asymmetry. The asymmetry was determined to beA _γ=1.18(48)×10^?3. The nuclear polarization was determined in a measurement of the quadrupole interaction in a⁹²Mo isomer and the parity violation matrix element 〈H _PV〉 is found to be ¦〈H _PV〉¦ =0.8(4) meV.     

Optical absorption spectrum and crystal field of erbium aluminum garnet (ErAlG)

The optical absorption spectrum of Erbium Aluminum Garnet (ErAlG) has been measured between 12000 cm^?1 and 26000 cm^?1. The crystal field splitting of the terms⁴I_15/2,⁴I_9/2,⁴F_9/2,⁴S_3/2,²H_11/2,⁴F_7/2,⁴F_5/2,⁴F_3/2,²H_9/2 and⁴G_11/2 was determined from the spectra and has been analysed in terms of the usual parametrization scheme. Nine crystal field parametersA _l ^m 〈r ^l〉≡B _l ^m which are necessary to describe the crystal field with the symmetryD ₂ at the site of the rare earth ion, were fitted to the experimental data. The values are (in cm^?1):B ₂ ⁰=+160B ₄ ⁰=?160B ₆ ⁰=+30B ₆ ⁶=+80B ₂ ²=?100B ₄ ²=+140B ₂ ⁶=?40B ₄ ⁴=?1800B ₆ ⁴=?700 This result is compared with those obtained from similar analysis of other garnets.     

Magnetization behaviour of DyAl2 single crystals

We report the theoretical interpretation of the magnetization and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of ferromagnetic DyAl₂ single crystals between 4.2 and 60 K and magnetic fields up to 15 T. Good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained by using three temperature independent parameters: the two crystal field parameters B₄ = (?0.50 ± 0.05) × 10^?4 meV, B₆ = ? (0.51 ± 0.05) × 10^?6 meV and the Curie temperature T_c = (62 ± 2) K.     

Modulated quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnetic structures in La1 − y Nd y MnO3 + δ manganites

The structural, electronic, and magnetic phase transitions induced by the isovalent substitution of the rare-earth Nd³⁺ ion for the La³⁺ ion with a larger radius have been investigated in the system of self-doped manganites La_{1 ? y} Nd _y MnO_{3 + δ} (0 ≤ y ≤ 1; δ ～ 0.1). For the average radius of the ions in A-sites of the lattice 〈r _A 〉 〈 1.19 Å (y 〉 0.5), the phenomena revealed in the manganites are as follows: the ordering of Mn e _g orbitals, the transition from the pseudocubic O* phase to the orthorhombic O’ phase, the opening of the dielectric Jahn-Teller gap, the frustration of the collinear ferromagnetic (FM) state, and the transition from the lowtemperature canted FM to canted antiferromagnetic (AFM) state of Mn spins. It is assumed that, in samples with neodymium concentrations y = 0.9 and 1.0 (〈r _A 〉 ≈ 1.16 Å) at temperatures T < 12 K, there coexist A- and E-type modulated AFM states similar to the sinusoidal and helical structures of Mn spins, which were previously studied in RMnO₃ multiferroics. The magnetic T-H phase diagrams of these samples are characteristic of quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnets with a very low (zero) magnetic anisotropy in the ab planes. Under these conditions, the phase transition from the A-type AFM phase to the spin-flop state occurs in a relatively weak magnetic field. The AFM ordering of the Nd magnetic moments with a critical phase transition temperature T _Nd ≌ 6 K is induced in magnetic fields with a strength H ≥ 3.5 kOe. For the NdMnO_{3 + δ} manganite in a magnetic field H = 10.7 kOe, the curves M(T) are characterized by additional very narrow peaks near temperatures T ₁ ≌ 4.5 K and T ₂ ≌ 5 K. The additional features revealed for the first time in the magnetization near T = 0 are assumed to be caused by the quantization of the spectrum of free holes in the ab planes by a strong magnetic field.     

Changes in nuclear mean square charge radii of stable Krypton isotopes

The isotope shifts of stable even Kr isotopes (A=78 throughA=86) in the optical transitions at 432 nm and 557 nm were measured by means of polarization laser spectroscopy. The observed shifts are consistent with earlier results for other transitions. From the isotope shifts the changes in the nuclear mean square charge radiiδ〈r ²〉 were inferred using preliminary muonic isotope shift data. Starting from⁷⁸Kr, a monotonic decrease of 〈r ²〉 with increasing mass number is found throughout theg _9/2 neutron shell. The effect onδ〈r ²〉 of nuclear deformations as well as possible contributions due to changes in the skin thickness of the nuclear charge distribution are discussed.     

Inclusive electron production from heavy quarks in e+e− annihilation at 34.6 GeV center of mass energy

The production of electrons by bottom and charm hadrons has been studied in e⁺e^? annihilation at 34.6 GeV center of mass energy. It is observed that the b quark fragmentation function is peaked at large values of the scaling variable z with 〈z_b〉 = 0.84^{+0.15 + 0.15}_{?0.10 ? 0.11}. For c quarks 〈z_c〉 = 0.57^{+0.10 + 0.05}_{?0.09 ? 0.06} is observed. A forward-backward charge asymmetry of A = ?0.25 ± 0.22 was measured in b production.     

Effect of average A-site cation radius on complex permeability of perovskite manganite La0.65Nd0.05(Sr,Ba)0.3MnO3

A series of polycrystalline perovskite samples La_0.65Nd_0.05(Sr, Ba)_0.3MnO₃ were prepared by a sol–gel technique. Their permeabilities have been measured at different fields and temperatures. A pronounced dispersion of the relaxation was observed near the Curie temperature T_C, which was obtained from the permeability vs. temperature curves. The effects of the average A-site cation radius 〈r_A〉 and the A-site cation disorder parameter σ²(r_A) on the permeability were investigated. With increasing 〈r_A〉 and σ²(r_A), the permeability of La_0.65Nd_0.05(Sr, Ba)_0.3MnO₃ increases linearly.     

A theoretical study of BrCN in the Π electronic ground state: Large amplitude bending motion

We have calculated the three-dimensional potential energy surfaces for the 1 ²A′ and 1 ²A″ states of BrCN⁺ at the MR-SDCI_DK+Q/[QZP-ANO-RCC (Br, C, N)] level of theory, where MR-SDCI_DK means ‘multi-reference single and double excitation configuration interaction calculation with Douglas-Kroll Hamiltonian.’ These ab initio potential energy surfaces have a common minimum (corresponding to the state) at a linear equilibrium structure with r_e(Br-C) = 1.735 Å and r_e(C-N) = 1.199 Å. Variational RENNER calculations yield a zero-point averaged structure (with the structural parameters calculated as expectation values over rovibrational wavefunctions) with 〈r(Br-C)〉₀ = 1.739 Å, 〈r(C-N)〉₀ = 1.204 Å, and 〈∠(Br-C-N)〉₀ = 172(4)°. A severe Fermi resonance between 2ν₂ and ν₃ has been found theoretically for the ²A″ potential energy surface. Comparing the ab initio zero-point averaged structure with a recent, experimentally derived r₀ structure, it is concluded that the effects of large-amplitude bending motion should be taken into account explicitly in the process of deriving the r₀ structure from the experimental values of the rotational constants. The electronic structure of BrCN⁺ has also been discussed.     

Possibility of utilizing the D-3He fuel cycle with 3He production in a spherical tokamak reactor

Possible operating regimes of a spherical tokamak reactor based on the D-³He fuel cycle with ³He production are considered. The parameters of the plasma and magnetic system are calculated for several versions corresponding to the high power efficiency (with a power gain factor in plasma of Q = 20) in a reactor with an aspect ratio of A = 1.5. According to calculations, for an axial magnetic field in vacuum of B ₀ = 2 T, a plasma radius of a = 3 m, an average 〈β〉 value of 0.53, and a plasma temperature of 〈T〉 = 48 keV, the reactor power can reach P _fus = 500 MW. In order to achieve a power of P _fus = 1500 MW in a reactor with a = 2 m, 〈β〉 = 0.36, and 〈T〉 = 40 keV, the magnetic field should be increased to B ₀ = 5 T.     

keV Neutron capture cross sections of 134Ba and 136Ba

The neutron capture cross sections of ¹³⁴Ba and ¹³⁶Ba have been measured in the energy region 3 to ¹⁰⁰keV. The following average quantities were deduced from the extracted resonance parameters: 〈D〉 = 127±10eV, 10⁴S₀ = 0.85±0.3, 10⁴S₁ = 0.8, 〈Γ_γ〉 = 120±20 meV for ¹³⁴Ba. Analysis of the ¹³⁶Ba data gave 〈Γ_γ〉 = 125±30meV for s-wave neutrons. The average 30 keV capture cross sections for these two s-process nuclei were found to be $\text{225±35}\text{mb}\text{for}{}^{134}\text{Ba and}\text{61±10}\text{mb}\text{for}{}^{136}\text{Ba}$.