On the dynamics of itinerant electron magnets in the paramagnetic state

It is shown how disordered local-moment states, in a metal such as Fe, may be stabilized by constraining magnetic fields. Effective interaction parameters between moments are defined in terms of spin density functional theory. On removing the constraints the moments initially precess but then decay rapidly, the latter process leading to an energy width of S(q, ω) at large q of order $\text{(k}{}_{\mathrm{B}}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{C}}\text{W)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$, where T_C is the Curie temperature and W is the width of the d-band. T he consequences for neutron scattering experiments are discussed and the rather different case of Ni is considered.