Evolution of the mössbauer spectra of ludwigite Co3 − x Fe x O2BO3 with substitution of iron for cobalt

A concentration series of single crystals of iron-cobalt ludwigites Co_{3 ? x} Fe _x O₂BO₃ (x = 0.0125, 0.025, 0.050, 0.10, 1.0) has been synthesized. The structure has been studied using X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer effect. A preferred occupation of nonequivalent crystallographic positions by iron in the ludwigite structure has been revealed. It has been found that the valence of substituting iron ions is three. It has been revealed that the structure of the γ-resonance spectrum of Co₂FeO₂BO₃ is complicated due to a composition disorder in the system.     

Mössbauer studies of Fe x Mn1 − x S single crystals

Single crystals of iron manganese sulfides Fe _x Mn_{1 ? x} S (0.25 ≤ x ≤ 0.29) are experimentally investigated using Mössbauer spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The Mössbauer spectra measured at 300 K exhibit a single broadened line characteristic of paramagnets. The isomer shift of this line is equal to 0.92–0.94 mm/s, which is typical of Fe²⁺ ions in the octahedral position. The quadrupole splitting (0.18–0.21 mm/s) suggests a distortion of the coordination polyhedron of iron ions in the Fe _x Mn_{1 ? x} S compounds.     

Experiments on the search for the effect of resonant screening on the probability of Mössbauer absorption of <Superscript>119<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis></Superscript>Sn gamma rays

Experiments on the search for the effect of resonant screening on the Mössbauer absorption of ^119m Sn γ rays of energy 23.8 keV emitted by a standard Mössbauer Ca^119m SnO₃ γ source in the resonant SnO₂ absorber of natural isotopic composition are described. Intensities of tin γ rays and X-rays that passed through the absorber were measured with and without a resonant cylindrical screen (which was a black absorber for the 23.8-keV Mössbauer γ line) around the absorber and their ratios were calculated for each radiation separately. No difference beyond the experimental error was found between these ratios measured with the γ source both at rest and when oscillating with a frequency and amplitude enough to completely break the conditions for Mössbauer resonant absorption of 23.8-keV γ rays. The upper limit for the relative decrease, due to the influence of the resonant screen, in the intensities of these γ rays after their passing through the resonant absorber was 0.00030.     

Orbital ordering in CuGeO3

The combined effect of the ligand crystal field and the exchange interaction on the Cu²⁺ cation in CuGeO₃ is examined. It is shown that, if the magnitude of the exchange interaction exceeds the splitting of the energy levels of the and d _xy orbitals, then an alternate filling of the d orbitals along a chain (orbital ordering) is possible. This effect creates an antiferromagnetic interaction between Cu²⁺ pairs in 90° exchange and a doubling of the lattice period. A Jahn-Teller pseudoeffect causes singletization of the ground state of the antiferromagnetic chain of Cu²⁺ spins. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1686–1692 (September 1998)     

Absence of the resonant environment effect on the half-life of the <Superscript>119<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis></Superscript>Sn isomer in the standard Mössbauer <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-ray source

Nine sets of measurements aimed at searching for the influence of resonant environment on the half-life of the ^109m Sn isomer have been performed during 14.7 months. The intensities of γ and X rays, emitted by two 261Mössbauer sources of identical design and size, were compared in these experiments. One of the sources was kept in the resonant environment of tin dioxide between measurements. No difference was found in the half-lives of ^119m Sn that would be beyond the experimental errors (0.35%).     

Magnetic properties of single crystals of ludwigites Cu<Subscript>2</Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis>BO<Subscript>5</Subscript> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis> = Fe<Superscript>3+</Superscript>, Ga<Superscript>3+</Superscript>)

High-quality single crystals of ludwigites Cu₂ MBO₅ (M = Fe³⁺, Ga³⁺) have been grown, and the magnetic, resonance, and Mössbauer studies have been performed. It is established that the Cu₂FeBO₅ and Cu₂GaBO₅ compounds are antiferromagnets with Néel temperatures of 32 and 3.4 K, respectively. A model of the magnetic structure of the compounds is proposed. It is shown that the magnetic properties of the ludwigites are substantially dependent on the degree of ion distribution over crystallographic positions.     

Observation of the gamma resonance of a long-lived <Superscript>109<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis></Superscript>Ag isomer using a gravitational gamma-ray spectrometer

Experiments confirming the previous data on the small real width of the γ resonance of ^109m Ag have been performed with a gravitational gamma-ray spectrometer. The achieved resolution is eight orders of magnitude higher than that of Mössbauer spectrometers using gamma rays from a ⁵⁷Fe nuclide. The theoretically predicted broadening of the Mössbauer gamma line of ^109m Ag by five orders of magnitude (due to the dipole-dipole interaction between the magnetic moments of neighboring nuclei) has not been observed.     

Magnetic state of the GdFeTi2O7 compound

The X-ray diffraction, M?ssbauer, calorimetric, and magnetic characteristics of zirconolite GdFeTi₂O₇ have been measured to determine the ground magnetic state. A kink dependent on the magnetic prehistory of the sample has been revealed in the temperature dependence of the magnetic moment at T = 3 K. M?ssbauer spectroscopy has confirmed the nonequivalence of the iron ion positions in GdFeTi₂O₇. The experimental data obtained allow the conclusion on the formation of a spin glass state with the freezing temperature T _f = 3 K in the GdFeTi₂O₇ compound.     

Specific features of the crystal structure and magnetic properties of the DyFeTi2O7 compound

Results of studying the specific features of formation of the crystal structure and distribution of iron cations over the sites in the DyFeTi₂O₇ compound have been presented and the comparison with the GdGaTi₂O₇ isostructural compound has been performed. The atomic disorder in the distribution of the Fe³⁺ ions over structural sites in the DyFeTi₂O₇ compound is confirmed by the Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The results of magnetic measurements in the low-temperature region have revealed an inflection point in the temperature dependence of the magnetic moment and its dependence on the magnetic prehistory of the sample. The obtained experimental data suggest that there is a spin glass state with freezing point T _f = 6 K in the DyFeTi₂O₇ compound.     

Experiments on the gravity effect on the109Ag gamma resonance

The temperature dependence of the ¹⁰⁹Ag γ-ray self-absorption was investigated for the horizontal and vertical directions of emission. The source was a single-crystal silver plate containing atoms of parent radionuclide ¹⁰⁹Cd. Gamma-radiation of this γ-source and that of the monitoring γ-source, ⁵⁷Co, were registered by a pair of Ge(Li)-detectors. As a result of cooling the source from 77 K to ~12 K a relative decrease was observed of the intensity of the horizontally emitted γ-rays equal to 0.00064±0.00044. For the vertical direction the corresponding intensity change turned out to be -0.00047±0.00051. Although these data, as one would see, give some evidence for the possible effect of the gravitation on the resonant γ-ray absorption, future measurements must show if these results aren’t a consequence of any apparatus effect. The ways for developments in this study are discussed and some hindrances are considered. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.