Phase transformations and vacancy formation energies of transition metals by positron annihilation

The technique of the coincidence count rate at the peak of the angular correlation curve (CCR) in positron annihilation has been applied to the investigation of vacancy formation energies in thermal equilibrium in nickel, cobalt, and iron. The monovacancy formation energyE ^1v/F has been determined to (1.55±0.05) eV and (1.34±0.07) eV for nickel and cobalt, and (1.60±0.10) eV for α-iron, and (1.40±0.15) eV for γ-iron, respectively. The structural phase transformations in cobalt (693 K) and iron (1183 K, 1663 K) are exhibited by discontinuities of the CCR. In the case of cobalt the CCR follows exactly the change of the thermal expansion at the transition temperature. The temperature dependence of the CCR in the prevacancy region is found to be proportional to the thermal expansion for all metals investigated.