Measurements related to the magnetism of curium metal

We report a series of measurements on a <1 mg sample of 248Cm metal. Magnetization measurements are similar to those reported earlier. X-ray absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements at the ESRF synchrotron at the M4,5 absorption edges show that the element has an orbital moment of ∼6% of the spin moment, and the two are parallel. This confirms the predictions of intermediate coupling, which has been suggested for Cm by other spectroscopies. In an XMCD measurement 2.5 years later, a field of 17 T was found to induce a larger induced signal (by a factor of ∼2) than that found earlier, indicating a change in the sample. We attribute this to the gradual loss of crystallinity with time since preparation, as a result of the damaged caused by fragments from the spontaneous fission within the sample itself. The final measurements aimed to determine the antiferromagnetic structure with resonant x rays were unable to observe any diffraction peaks from the sample. The ground-state antiferromagnetic structure remains unresolved.

LANDER G. H.;  GRIVEAU Jean-Christophe;  ELOIRDI Rachel;  MAGNANI Nicola;  COLINEAU Eric;  WILHELM F.;  BROWN S. D.;  WERMEILLE Didier;  ROGALEV A.;  HAIRE R.;  CACIUFFO Roberto; 

2019-06-17

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

JRC115985

2469-9950 (online),   

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.99.224419,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC115985,   

10.1103/PhysRevB.99.224419 (online),