Specific Heat of Dilute Gadolinium in Scandium Alloys

Abstract

The specific heats of scandium and of a series of dilute gadolinium in scandium alloys were measured in the 0.5-4-K range. In alloys with less than 0.1-at.% gadolinium, there is a contribution to the specific heat due to solute-matrix interaction. In higher-concentration alloys, the major contribution to the specific heat is due to long-range solute spin-spin interactions. In a 1.0-at.% alloy, the phase transformation due to magnetic ordering is observed. The electronic specific-heat coefficient increases rapidly with alloying. The spin-spin interaction is shown to be of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida type.