Observation of magnetically induced crystallization of undercooled Co-Pd alloys

Abstract
The undercoolability of bulk samples of Co100 − xPdx alloys is investigated at four compositions (x = 18, 25, 30, 50) by application of the electromagnetic levitation technique. Each alloy is undercooled approximately 100 times under same experiment conditions. A model developed by Skripov is utilized to statistically analyze the distribution of maximum undercoolings in order to gain insight into the origin of nucleation. The results indicate that crystal nucleation is influenced by the onset of magnetic ordering when the nucleation temperature is approaching the Curie temperature.