The Electronic and Magnetic Properties of FCC Iron Clusters in FCC 4D Metals

The electronic and magnetic structures of small FCC iron clusters in FCC Rh, Pd and Ag were calculated using the discrete variational method as a function of cluster size and lattice relaxation. It was found that unrelaxed iron clusters, remain ferromagnetic as the cluster sizes increase, while for relaxed clusters antiferromagnetism develops as the size increases depending on the host metal. For iron in Rh the magnetic structure changes from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic for clusters as small as 13 Fe atoms, whereas for Fe in Ag antiferromagnetism is exhibited for clusters of 24 Fe atoms. On the hand, for Fe in Pd the transition from ferromagnetism to antiferromagnetism occurs for clusters as large as 42 Fe atoms. The difference in the magnetic trends of these Fe clusters is related to the electronic properties of the underlying metallic matrix. The local d densities of states, the magnetic moments and hyperfine parameters are calculated in the ferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic regions. In addition, the average local moment in iron-palladium alloys is calculated and compared to experimental results.     

Magnetic moments and hyperfine fields at Fe in 3d-transition metals

The magnetic moments and hyperfine fields at Fe sites in 3d-transition metals are calculated using the first principle discrete variational method in local density approximation. Although a large positive moment is retained at each Fe site, the hyperfine fields varied from large negative to large positive values. It is concluded that the absence of Mössbauer magnetic splitting does not necessarily imply the absence of local magnetic moments.     

Structural and 57Fe M?ssbauer study of EuCr1???x Fe x O3 nanocrystalline particles

Emission (⁵⁷Co) M?ssbauer spectra of the aspartic acid—⁵⁷CoCl₂ system were measured at T?=?80?K in frozen aqueous solution and in the form of a dried residue of this solution. The M?ssbauer spectra, besides a weak contribution from after-effects, showed two Fe^2?+?/Co^2?+? components which were ascribed to octahedrally and tetrahedrally coordinated ⁵⁷Co^II microenvironments in the Asp–cobalt(II) complex. This dual coordination mode may be due to the involvement of the second terminal carboxylic group of aspartic acid in the coordination sphere of Co.     

Local magnetic moment and hyperfine field in hydrogenated iron and iron-vanadium alloy

The local magnetic moment and hyperfine fieldB _hf at Fe and V sites in hydrogenated iron and iron-vanadium were calculated using the discrete variational method. The variations in andB _hf with H occupation of the octahedral (O) site were considered. It was found that when H occupies the O site neighbouring an Fe atom, both local moment and hyperfine field at this atom decrease linearly with increasing number of H atoms. The rate of decrease is larger for Fe in iron as compared to iron in vanadium. On the other hand, when H resides at an O site next neighbouring an Fe atom, whether in iron metal or in iron-vanadium, the Fe magnetic moment increases slowly, while the hyperfine field remains almost constant. The V moment in iron, which is negative (–0.83 _B ), becomes less negative (–0.30 _B) as H occupies the neighboring O sites, whereas slight changes occur (–0.88 _B) when H is at the next neighbouring O site. The net effect of H on Fe in iron is to decrease the average magnetic moment at a rate of 1.2 _B per H/Fe for low H content. On the other hand, the average Fe moment in an iron-vanadium alloy increases if H resides at O sites which are immediate neigbours of V and next neighbours of Fe. This may explain the development of a magnetic state on hydrogenation of Fe-V alloys, which is exhibited by the specific heat and susceptibility measurements. The changes in the isomer shift were found to agree with experimental trends.     

Investigations of Al-Dalang and Al-Hawashat meteorites

Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, and electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) have been performed on two meteorites named Al-Dalang and Al-Hawashat after identifying their falling sites in the Western region of Sudan. These two meteorites are ordinary chondrites with similar mineralogy. XRD and EMPA show that the two specimens consist of primary olivine, ortho-pyroxene and later crystallising clino-pyroxene as reaction rims against plagioclase. Fe-metal phases are dominated by kamacite (≈6 wt.% Ni) and minor amounts of tetrataenite (≈52 wt.% Ni). Troilite (FeS) and alabandite (MnS) are optically observed as sulphide phases. The Mössbauer measurements at 295 and 78 K are in agreement with the above characterizations, showing at least two paramagnetic doublets which are assigned to olivine and pyroxene and magnetic sextets assigned to kamacite (hyperfine field ≈33.5 T) and troilite FeS (hyperfine field ≈31 T).     

Mössbauer and magnetic study of Mn2+- and Cr3+-substituted spinel magnesioferrites of the composition Mg1−xMnxFe2−2xCr2xO4

Chromium and manganese co-substituted spinel magnesioferrites of the composition Mg_1?x Mn _x Fe_2?2x Cr_2x O₄ (x?=?0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5) were investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. The cation distribution inferred suggests that Mn²⁺ and Cr³⁺ ions dominantly occupy the A- and B-sites respectively. The gradual decrease of the hyperfine fields and Curie temperatures with increasing x reflects a gradual weakening in the AB exchange interaction. Mössbauer data of the sample with x = 0.5 is suggestive of cation clustering and/or superparamagnetism. The magnetization data is suggestive of Yafet-Kittel-type canted magnetism.     

The magnetic and hyperfine properties of iron in silicon carbide

The magnetic and hyperfine properties of iron impurities in 3C- and 6H- silicon-carbide are calculated using the abinitio method of full-potential linear-augmented-plane-waves. The iron atoms are introduced at substitutional carbon, Fe _C , and silicon, Fe _Si , sites as well as at the tetrahedral interstitial sites with four nearest neighbours carbon atoms, Fe _I (C), and four nearest neighbours silicon atoms, Fe _I (Si). The effect of introducing vacancies at the neighbours of these sites is also studied. Fe atoms with complete neighbors substituted at Si or C sites are found to be nonmagnetic, while Fe atoms at interstitial sites are magnetic. Introduction of a vacancy at a neighboring site reverse the picture.     

Mössbauer studies of GdFe2 − x Hf x alloys

GdFe_2???x Hf _x alloys, where x?=?0, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.30, are produced by arc-melting of pure elements. The samples are investigated by x-ray diffraction and Fe⁵⁷ Mössbauer spectroscopy at 78 K and 300 K. We find that the alloy system GdFe_2???x Hf _x have the single phase cubic Cu₂Mg type structure in the whole concentration range. Mössbauer spectroscopic results show that all the samples studied are magnetically ordered at 78 K, and at room temperature. The room temperature spectra are fitted with two magnetic components where the direction of magnetization is along the [111] while the spectra at 78 K are fitted with four magnetic subspectra indicating a complex direction of magnetization for all samples under investigation. The average magnetic hyperfine field and the average isomer shift are found to decrease almost linearly with increasing the Hf concentration at 78 K and 300 K due to the replacement of Fe by nonmagnetic Hf.     

Effect of Mg2+ on the Magnetic Compensation of Lithium–Chromium Ferrite

PAC measurements on ¹¹¹In(¹¹¹Cd) implanted and thermally treated α-Fe have shown an indication for a cubic defect with the ¹¹¹Cd probe in the centre of it. The measured room temperature (R. T.) magnetic hyperfine fields are B _hf1 = −38.4(8) T for substitution and B _hf2 = +11.5(3) T for the cubic defect. Additionally, probes with pure quadrupole frequency distributions were observed, which are incorporated in surface contaminations.     

Studies on Al Kidirate and Kapoeta meteorites

Mössbauer spectroscopy (20–300 K), magnetic susceptibility measurements (77–350 K), scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction experiments have been performed on two meteorite samples: one from an old fall (Kapoeta) and another from a very recent fall (Al Kidirate). The two specimens differ in their mineralogy. Chondrules appear to be absent in Kapoeta and it is probably a pyroxene-plagioclase achondrite with ferrohypersthene as the most abundant mineral. On the other hand, the Al Kidirate meteorite is an ordinary chondrite and the specimen consists of olivine, orthopyroxene, troilite and kamacite. The Mössbauer measurements confirm the above characterization, showing a paramagnetic doublet for the Kapoeta sample and at least two paramagnetic doublets and magnetic sextets for the Al Kidirate specimens. The former were assigned to Fe in pyroxene sites, while the latter was assigned to Fe in pyroxene, olivine, Fe-S and Fe-Ni alloys. The difference in the mineralogy of the two meteorites has also been reflected in the temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility. The magnetization and the hyperfine interaction parameters will be discussed in relation to the mineralogy.