High-field magnetization of giant moment-spin glass PdMn alloys in pulsed fields up to 40 T

Magnetization curves up to 40 T are presented for $\text{Pd}$Mn alloys with Mn concentrations between 0.48 and 9.8 at.%. Estimates for the exchange parameters and saturation moments are obtained, and a comparison with Monte Carlo simulations is made.     

Magnetostriction of dilute rare-earth bismuthides: The effect of non-S-state ions versus “S-state” ions

Shape magnetostriction measurements along the [001] direction were carried out for dilute rare-earth bismuthides; LaBi: R (R = Ce, Sm, Gd, Tb, Er) and the antimonide LaSb: Gd. The magnetostriction of LaBi: Ce and LaBi: Sm reveal the “reverse magnetostriction” phenomenon, enabling us to extract an overall crystalline field splitting of 12 K for the former compound. The magnetostriction of LaBi: Gd and LaSb: Gd which are significantly larger than that of the “pure” hosts, can be explained by a modified version of a model previously suggested by us. The fitting procedure yields magnetoelastic coupling constants for LaSb: Gd and LaBi: Gd which has the correct sign and magnitude according to existing theories.     

Ethanol adsorption, decomposition and oxidation on Ir(111): a high resolution XPS study.

Ethanol (C(2)H(5)OH) adsorption, decomposition and oxidation is studied on Ir(111) using high-energy resolution, fast XPS and temperature-programmed desorption. During heating of an adsorbed ethanol layer a part of the C(2)H(5)OH(ad) desorbs molecularly, and another part remains on the surface and decomposes around 200 K; these two decomposition pathways are identified, as via acetyl (H(3)C--C=O) and via CO(ad)+CH(3ad), respectively. Acetyl and CH(3ad) decompose around 300 K into CH(ad) (and CO(ad)). CH(ad) decomposes forming C(x) and H(2) around 520 K. In the presence of O(ad) an acetate intermediate is formed around 180 K, as well as a small amount of CH(3ad) and CO(ad). Acetate decomposes between 400-480 K into CO(2), H(2)(/H(2)O) and CH(ad).     

Chemical Reconstruction of Pt-Rh(100) Alloy and Pt/Rh(100), Rh/Pt(100) Bimetallic Surfaces

When Cu(110), Ni(l 10), Ag(110) surfaces are exposed to O₂ at room temperature, one dimensional metal-oxygen strings grow in the < 001 > direction of the (110) surfaces. A similar phenomenon occurs in the adsorption of H₂ on Ni( 110) surface at room temperature, where the one dimensional strings grow along the < 110 > direction. These phenomena are undoubtedly different from the adsorption induced reconstruction but are explained by the chemical reconstruction involving the formation of quasi-compounds and their self-ordering on the metal surfaces. The chemical reconstruction is indispensablly important to understand the structure and catalysis of alloy and bimetallic surfaces. Pt_0.25Rh_0.75(100) alloy surface being active for the reaction of NO with H₂ is an interesting example. When the Pt-Rh(100) alloy surface is exposed to NO or O₂ at arround 500 K, a p(3 × 1) ordered Rh-O over-layer is obtained on a Pt-enriched 2nd layer by the chemical reconstruction. Ordering of Rh-0 in the p(3 × 1) structure on the Pt(100) surface was reproduced by heating a Rh/Pt(100) bimetallic surface in O₂, and the chemical reconstruction making the p(3 × 1) Rh-O overlayer on a Pt enriched 2nd layer was also proved by heating a Pt/Rh(100) bimetallic surface in O₂ or NO. The activation mechanism of the Pt-Rh alloy and the Pt/Rh bimetallic surfaces by the chemical reconstruction was evidently shown by using a Pt deposited Rh(100), Pt/Rh(100), surface. That is, the Pt/Rh(100) is not so active for the reaction of NO with H₂, but the reconstructed p(3 × 1)Rh-O/Pt-layer/Rh(100) surface is very active for the reaction. Therefore, it was concluded that the chemical reconstruction of the Pt-Rh catalyst makes the active surface which is composed of Rh-O and a Pt layer.     

DFT study of CO and NO adsorption on low index and stepped surfaces of gold

Adsorption energies and vibrational frequencies of CO and NO adsorbed on gold (1 1 1), (1 0 0), (1 1 0) and (3 1 0) surfaces, as well as on adatoms on Au(1 0 0) have been calculated using density functional theory. The results clearly show that the adsorption energy of the molecules increases considerably with increasing the degree of coordinative unsaturation of the gold atoms to which the molecules bind, and thus support the view that defects, steps and kinks on the surface determine the activity of gold catalysts.     

Standardization for oxygen isotope ratio measurement - still an unsolved problem

Numerous organic and inorganic laboratory standards were gathered from nine European and North American laboratories and were analyzed for their delta(18)O values with a new on-line high temperature pyrolysis system that was calibrated using Vienna standard mean ocean water (VSMOW) and standard light Antartic precipitation (SLAP) internationally distributed reference water samples. Especially for organic materials, discrepancies between reported and measured values were high, ranging up to 2 per thousand. The reasons for these discrepancies are discussed and the need for an exact and reliable calibration of existing reference materials, as well as for the establishment of additional organic and inorganic reference materials is stressed. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

CO adsorption on Au(3 1 0) and Au(3 2 1): 6-Fold coordinated gold atoms

The adsorption of CO on Au(3 1 0) and Au(3 2 1) was studied using a combination of thermal desorption spectroscopy and high resolution core level photoemission spectroscopy. These vicinal Au surfaces both have 6-fold coordinated atoms at the step edges but have a different terrace structure. The CO adsorption behavior was found to be very similar for both surfaces. Three different desorption peaks due to chemisorbed CO were identified, which desorb around 100 K(α), 120 K(β) and 180 K(γ), respectively. The C1s and O1s spectra of the chemisorbed CO show a complex shake-up structure. Our experimental results indicate that CO only adsorbs on the step atoms. The different desorption peaks are explained by substrate-mediated long-range interactions between the adsorbates. Comparison with literature results shows that the CO adsorption energy is not only dependent on the coordination number of the Au atoms, but that the exact geometrical structure of the surface also plays a role.     

Magnetic phase diagram and crystal fields of superconducting ErNi2B2C

We have measured the specific heatc _p in magnetic fields and the resistance of the antiferromagnetically ordered borocarbide superconductor ErNi₂B₂C. From our data we show that the superconductivity at 10.6 K coexists with antiferromagnetic order beginning at 5.8 K, and we determine the magneticB-T phase diagram. The specific heat in zero field gives additional information about the crystalline electric field (CEF) splitting. We show that the low-temperature specific heat is dominated by several low-lying CEF doublets with the first excited level at about 10 K, while the splitting of the next two levels is about 50 to 100 K.     

LEED,AES and thermal desorption studies of chemisorbed Hydrogen and hydrocarbons (C2H2, C2H4, C6H6, C6H12) on the (111) and stepped [6(111) × (100)] iridium crystal surfaces; comparison with platinum

The adsorption of hydrogen, ethylene, acetylene, cyclohexane and benzene was studied on both the (111) and stepped [6(111) × (100)] crystal surfaces of iridium. The techniques used were low energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, and thermal desorption mass spectrometry. At 30°C, acetylene, ethylene and benzene are adsorbed with a sticking probability near unity. The sticking probability of cyclohexane is less than 0.1 on both surfaces. Heating the (111) surface above 800°C, in the presence of the hydrocarbons, results in the formation of an ordered carbonaceous overlayer with a diffraction pattern corresponding to a (9 × 9) surface structure. No indication for ordering of the carbonaceous residue was found on the stepped iridium surface in these experimental conditions. The hydrocarbon molecules form only poorly ordered surface structures on both iridium surfaces when the adsorption is carried out at 30°C. Benzene is the only gas that can be desorbed from the surfaces in large amounts by heating. Ethylene remains largely on the surface, only a few percent is removed by heating while acetylene and cyclohexane cannot be desorbed at all. When adsorption is carried out at 30°C and the crystal is subsequently flashed to high temperature, hydrogen is liberated from the surface. The hydrogen desorption spectra from the iridium surfaces exposed to C₂H₄, C₂H₂, or C₆H₆ exhibit two hydrogen desorption peaks, one around 200°C and the second around 350°C. The temperatures where these peaks appear vary slightly with the type of hydrocarbon. The relative intensities of these two peaks depend strongly on the surface used. Arguments are presented that decomposition of the hydrocarbon molecules (C-H bond breaking nd possibly also C-C bond breaking) occurs easier on the stepped iridium surface than on the (111) surface. Hydrogen is desorbed at a higher temperature from an iridium surface possessing a high density of surface imperfections than from a perfect iridium (111) surface. The results are compared with those obtained previously on similar crystal surfaces of platinum. It appears that C-H bond breaking occurs more easily on iridium than on platinum.     

Neutron scattering studies of the reentrant spin-glass system PdFeMn

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and inelastic neutron scattering studies were performed on a polycrystalline sample of (Pd_{9 9.65}Fe_0.35)₉₅Mn₅. This system exhibits a sequence of phase transitions from a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state and then a transition to spin-glass-like behavior near T_SG = 3.0 K. The temperature dependence of the SANS exhibits a peak at T_c = 9.0 K and then a Q-dependent increase at low temperatures. This low temperature behavior contrasts sharply with that observed at low temperatures for a normal ferromagnet. No spin waves were observed within the ferromagnetic phase for the momenta values probed. Instead, a broad (FWHM ～ 5.0 meV) quasielastic distribution which was almost temperature independent was observed. This scattering was interpreted as a measure of the distribution of the magnetic energies of the Mn²⁺ ions.