Bulk Magnetic Susceptibility Measurements Research Articles

Revealing the Origin of Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking in Fe-Chalcogenide Superconductor FeTe_{1-x}Se_{x}.

Recently, evidence has emerged in the topological superconductor Fe-chalcogenide FeTe_{1-x}Se_{x} for time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB), the nature of which has strong implications on the Majorana zero modes (MZM) discovered in this system. It remains unclear, however, whether the TRSB resides in the topological surface state (TSS) or in the bulk, and whether it is due to an unconventional TRSB superconducting order parameter or an intertwined order. Here, by performing in superconducting FeTe_{1-x}Se_{x} crystals both surface-magneto-optic-Kerr effect measurements using a Sagnac interferometer and bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements, we pinpoint the TRSB to the TSS, where we also detect a Dirac gap. Further, we observe surface TRSB in nonsuperconducting FeTe_{1-x}Se_{x} of nominally identical composition, indicating that TRSB arises from an intertwined surface ferromagnetic (FM) order. The observed surface FM bears striking similarities to the two-dimensional (2D) FM found in 2D van der Waals crystals, and is highly sensitive to the exact chemical composition, thereby providing a means for optimizing the conditions for Majorana particles that are useful for robust quantum computing.

Molecular Magnetic Materials Based on {CoIII (Tp*)(CN)3 }- Cyanidometallate: Combined Magnetic, Structural and 59 Co NMR Study.

The cyanidocobaltate of formula fac‐PPh4[CoIII(Me2Tp)(CN)3] ⋅ CH3CN (1) has been used as a metalloligand to prepare polynuclear magnetic complexes (Me2Tp=hydrotris(3,5‐dimethylpyrazol‐1‐yl)borate). The association of 1 with in situ prepared [FeII(bik)2(MeCN)2](OTf)2 (bik=bis(1‐methylimidazol‐2‐yl)ketone) leads to a molecular square of formula {[CoIII{(Me2Tp)}(CN)3]2[FeII(bik)2]2}(OTf)2 ⋅ 4MeCN ⋅ 2H2O (2), whereas the self‐assembly of 1 with preformed cluster [CoII 2(OH2)(piv)4(Hpiv)4] in MeCN leads to the two‐dimensional network of formula {[CoII 2(piv)3]2[CoIII(Me2Tp)(CN)3]2 ⋅ 2CH3CN}∞ (3). These compounds were structurally characterized via single crystal X‐ray analysis and their spectroscopic (FTIR, UV‐Vis and 59Co NMR) properties and magnetic behaviours were also investigated. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that 1 is diamagnetic and 3 is paramagnetic throughout the explored temperature range, whereas 2 exhibits sharp spin transition centered at ca. 292 K. Compound 2 also exhibits photomagnetic effects at low temperature, selective light irradiations allowing to promote reversibly and repeatedly low‐spin⇔high‐spin conversion. Besides, the diamagnetic nature of the Co(III) building block allows us studying these compounds by means of 59Co NMR spectroscopy. Herein, a 59Co chemical shift has been used as a magnetic probe to corroborate experimental magnetic data obtained from bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements. An influence of the magnetic state of the neighbouring atoms is observed on the 59Co NMR signals. Moreover, for the very first time, 59Co NMR technique has been successfully introduced to investigate molecular materials with distinct magnetic properties.

A multiple-pulse emplacement model for the Shonkin Sag laccolith, Montana, USA

The Shonkin Sag laccolith (Montana) is a differentiated mafic hypabyssal intrusion that was concordantly emplaced into undeformed sandstones. Erosional processes have produced a cross-section-like exposure of the laccolith, revealing its base, roof, and eastern contact, where it transitions to fringing sills. We present evidence for a multi-pulse emplacement model for the Shonkin Sag laccolith by showing that the rapidly cooled margin of the laccolith and fringing sills preserve features formed during emplacement. These features include internal contacts associated with variably deformed zones at the margin of the laccolith and normal and thrust faults within the surrounding sedimentary rocks. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and thin section analyses support evidence for strain accumulation in pulses. Thermal models suggest that the pulses emplaced over ~3 years, while total cooling and differentiation of the laccolith to the solidus occurred over ~21 years. From these results, a three-stage emplacement model was determined. The model provides insight into ground deformation and associated hazards caused by the rapid emplacement of shallow magma bodies similar in size to the Shonkin Sag laccolith, such as the 1980 Mt. St. Helens cryptodome and the 2011 Cordón Caulle laccolith.

Zero-field magnetic ground state of EuMg2Bi2

Layered trigonal EuMg$_2$Bi$_2$ is reported to be a topological semimetal that hosts multiple Dirac points that may be gapped or split by the onset of magnetic order. Here, we report zero-field single-crystal neutron-diffraction and bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements versus temperature $\chi(T)$ of EuMg$_2$Bi$_2$ that show the intraplane ordering is ferromagnetic (Eu$^{2+},\, S= 7/2$) with the moments aligned in the $ab$-plane while adjacent layers are aligned antiferromagnetically (i.e., A-type antiferromagnetism) below the N\'eel temperature.

Quasi-two-dimensional superconductivity in SnSe2 via organic ion intercalation

In this work, two organic-ion-intercalated $\mathrm{Sn}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ superconductors, ${(\mathrm{TBA})}_{x}\mathrm{Sn}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ $({T}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}6.4\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K})$ and ${(\mathrm{CTA})}_{x}\mathrm{Sn}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ $({T}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}7.1\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K})$, are synthesized by an electrochemical intercalation method. Via the intercalation of organic ions, the interlayer distance is dramatically enlarged from 6.12 \AA{} of pristine $\mathrm{Sn}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ to 18.62 and 14.74 \AA{} for ${(\mathrm{TBA})}_{x}\mathrm{Sn}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ and ${(\mathrm{CTA})}_{x}\mathrm{Sn}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$, respectively. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest that both superconductors exhibit a strong anisotropic superconducting shielding effect below ${T}_{c}$. Further measurements of resistivity, I-V characteristic curves, and magnetoresistance reveal a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) superconductivity in ${(\mathrm{CTA})}_{x}\mathrm{Sn}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$. The present work suggests that the organic-ion-intercalation method can induce quasi-2D superconductivity in $\mathrm{Sn}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ layers and provides a simple and practical strategy to explore 2D superconductivity as well as other 2D phenomena in layered materials.

Tuning the shape, size, phase composition and stoichiometry of iron oxide nanoparticles: The role of phosphate anions

This work describes a microwave synthetic approach for the controlled assembly of α-Fe2O3 nanosystems with defined morphologies, such as hollow nanotubes (NTs), solid nanorods (NRs) and nanodisks (NDs). The morphological control is aided during the crystallization processes by using phosphate anions as key surfactants in solution. Furthermore, the thermal reduction under H2 atmosphere of these NTs, NRs and NDs α-Fe2O3 systems to the correspondent Fe3O4 nanomaterials preserved their initial morphologies. It was observed that the concentration of phosphate anions and volume of solvent had significant impact not only on controlling the shapes and sizes, but also phase composition and stoichiometry of the NTs, NRs and NDs nanoparticles. X-ray Rietveld refinement analysis of the NTs, NRs and NDs systems, after reduction in H2, revealed the presence of zero-valent iron (Fe0) in the final materials, with Fe0 fractions that decreased gradually in % from NTs (∼16%), NRs (∼11%) to NDs (∼0%) upon increasing amount of phosphate anions. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements showed clear alterations of the Verwey transition temperatures (TV) and the development of unusual magnetic phenomena, such as magnetic vortex states in NDs, which was subsequently verified by micro-magnetic simulations. From the combination of XRD analysis, bulk magnetic susceptibility and Mössbauer results, we provide herein a detailed mechanistic description of the chemical processes that gated the development of shape-controlled synthesis of NTs, NRs and NDs and give a detailed correlation between specific morphology and magneto-electronic behaviors.

Structural Chemistry and Magnetic Properties of the Hexagonal Double Perovskite Ba2CoOsO6.

The double perovskite Ba2CoOsO6, synthesized using solid-state methods at ambient pressure, is shown as a rare example of an oxide adopting the 6L-trigonal (S.G.: P3̅m1) perovskite structure. The structure, refined using a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction data, showed the Co and Os were ordered over the two dimer sites with additional ordering over the corner-sharing sites. Bond valence calculations show the presence of the Co(II) and Os(VI) valence states, and the latter was confirmed using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements show Ba2CoOsO6 to undergo antiferromagnetic ordering near 100 K, and neutron diffraction showed an ordered moment on the Co3, Co4, and Os2 sites; whereas the Os1/Co1 remained disordered.

Magnetic order and single-ion anisotropy inTb3Ga5O12

Terbium gallium garnet (TGG), Tb$_3$Ga$_5$O$_{12}$, is well known for its applications in laser optics, but also exhibits complex low-temperature magnetism that is not yet fully understood. Its low-temperature magnetic order is determined by means of time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction. It is found to be a multiaxial antiferromagnet with magnetic Tb$^{3+}$ ions forming six sublattices of magnetic moments aligned parallel and anti-parallel to the $\langle100\rangle$ crystallographic directions of the cubic unit cell. The structure displays strong easy-axis anisotropy with respect to a two-fold axis of symmetry in the local orthorhombic environment of the Tb$^{3+}$ sites. The crystal-field splitting within the single-ion ground-state manifold is investigated by inelastic neutron scattering on powder samples. A strong temperature dependence of the quasidoublet ground-state is observed and revised parameters of the crystal-field Hamiltonian are given. The results of bulk magnetic susceptibility and magnetisation measurements are in good agreement with values based on the crystal-field model down to 20~K, where the onset of magnetic correlations is observed.

Structural and magnetic studies of the ruthenium perovskites Ba2-xSrxHoRuO6

The series of ruthenate double perovskites Ba2-xSrxHoRuO6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) have been synthesized using solid state methods. The crystal structures of the series have been determined by high resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction and show the sequence of structures to be Fm3̅m (a0a0a0) (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) → I4/m (a0a0c-) (x = 0.8) → I2/m (a0b-b-) (1.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.2) → P21/n (a-a-c+) (1.4 ≤ x ≤ 2.0). A similar progression of structures is observed in the sample BaSrHoRuO6 with increasing temperature. Magnetic characterisation of these materials was undertaken utilising variable temperature bulk magnetic susceptibility, isothermal magnetisation and low temperature neutron powder diffraction measurements. All members of the series order antiferromagnetically with the Ru and Ho sublattices ordering at different temperatures between 50 and 16 K. The presence of the magnetic Ho3+ at the perovskite B site stabilises the antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering of the Ru sublattice. The addition of Sr for Ba beyond x = 1.2 weakens the AFM superexchange interactions through induced structural distortions, resulting in a canted AFM ground state.

Magnetic and Structural Studies of Sc Containing Ruthenate Double Perovskites A2ScRuO6 (A = Ba, Sr)

Ruthenium-containing double perovskites A2ScRuO6 have been synthesized as polycrystalline powders and structurally characterized using a combination of synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction methods. When A = Ba, a hexagonal 6L perovskite structure is obtained if the synthesis is conducted at ambient pressure and a rock-salt ordered cubic structure is obtained if the sample is quenched from high pressures. The Sr oxide Sr2ScRuO6 is obtained with a rock-salt ordered corner sharing topology. Heat capacity and bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the three oxides are antiferromagnets. Cubic Ba2ScRuO6 undergoes a metal-insulator transition near 270 K and hexagonal Ba2ScRuO6 is a semiconductor with an activation energy of 0.207 eV. The magnetic structures of the two rock-salt ordered double perovskites were established using powder neutron diffraction and are described by k = (0,0,1) and k = (0,0,0) for the Ba and Sr oxides, respectively, corresponding to type I antiferromagnetic structures, with ferromagnetic layers stacked antiferromagnetically. The ambient-pressure hexagonal polymorph of Ba2ScRuO6 has partial Sc-Ru ordering at both the face-sharing B2O9 dimer and corner-sharing BO6 sites. The magnetic structure is described by k = (1/2,0,0) with the basis vector belonging to the irreducible representation Γ3.

Structural and Magnetic Properties of the Osmium Double Perovskites Ba2-xSrxYOsO6.

The crystal and magnetic structures of double perovskites of the type Ba2-xSrxYOsO6 were studied by synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction methods, bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The structures were refined using combined neutron and synchrotron data sets based on an ordered array of corner-sharing YO6 and OsO6 octahedra, with the Ba/Sr cations being completely disordered. The structure evolves from cubic to monoclinic Fm3̅m (x ≈ 0.6) → I4/m (x ≈ 1.0) → I2/m (x ≈ 1.6) → P21/n as the Sr content is increased, due to the introduction of cooperative tilting of the octahedra. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate the oxides are all anti-ferromagnets. The decrease in symmetry results in a nonlinear increase in the Neel temperature. Low-temperature neutron diffraction measurements of selected examples show these to be type-I anti-ferromagnets. X-ray absorption spectra collected at the Os L3- and L2-edges confirm the Os is pentavalent in all cases, and there is no detectable change in the covalency of the Os cation as the A-cation changes. Analysis of the L3/L2 branching ratio shows that the spin-orbit coupling is constant and insignificant across the series.

Effect of moderate shock waves on magnetic susceptibility and microstructure of a magnetite‐bearing ore

AbstractThis study demonstrates a relationship between changes of magnetic susceptibility and microstructure developing in minerals of a magnetite‐bearing ore, experimentally shocked to pressures of 5, 10, 20, and 30 GPa. Shock‐induced effects on magnetic properties were quantified by bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements while shock‐induced microstructures were studied by high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy. Microstructural changes were compared between magnetite, quartz, amphibole, and biotite grains. In the 5 GPa sample, a sharp drop of magnetic susceptibility correlates with distinct fragmentation as well as with formation of shear bands and twins in magnetite. At 10 GPa, shear bands and twins in magnetite are accompanied by droplet‐shaped nanograins. In this shock pressure regime, quartz and amphibole still show intensive grain fragmentation. Twins in quartz and foam‐shaped, highly porous amphibole are formed at 20 and 30 GPa. The formation of porous minerals suggests that shock heating of these mineral grains resulted in localized temperature spikes. The identified shock‐induced features in magnetite strongly advise that variations in the bulk magnetic susceptibility result from cooperative grain fragmentation, plastic deformation and/or localized amorphization, and probably postshock annealing. In particular, the increasing shock heating at high pressures is assumed to be responsible for a partial defect annealing which we suggest to be responsible for the almost constant values of magnetic susceptibility above 10 GPa.

Further evidence for magnetic susceptibility as a proxy for the evaluation of heavy metals in mining wastes: case study of Tlalpujahua and El Oro Mining Districts

Magnetic susceptibility is nowadays used in most areas of environmental research as a proxy for heavy metal pollution in industrial and urban areas. Although the relationship between magnetic susceptibility and concentration of toxic elements in different environments has been pointed out in several studies, mining wastes (tailings) have hardly been investigated by magnetic methods. We report the relationships between magnetic susceptibility and potentially toxic elements monitored at 12 vertical ground profiles of the Tlalpujahua and El Oro mining districts, western Mexico. Specific bulk magnetic susceptibility (k) measurements, percentage frequency-dependent susceptibility (%XFD) determinations as well as the identification of the magnetic carriers within the samples were accomplished using standard rock-magnetic techniques on geochemically well characterized sister samples. Magnetite and/or Ti-poor titanomagnetite seem to be the main magnetic carriers in the samples. Tight correspondence between k and Fe concentrations, as well as Pb and As with the iron content were found. This association seems to hold also for pH variations.

Magnetic ground state and two-dimensional behavior in pseudo-kagome layered system Cu3Bi(SeO3)2O2Br

Anisotropic magnetic properties of a layered kagome-like system Cu${}_{3}$Bi(SeO${}_{3}$)${}_{2}$O${}_{2}$Br have been studied by bulk magnetization and magnetic susceptibility measurements as well as powder and single-crystal neutron diffraction. At ${T}_{N}=27.4$ K the system develops an alternating antiferromagnetic order of ($ab$) layers, which individually exhibit canted ferrimagnetic moment arrangement, resulting from the competing ferro- and antiferro-magnetic intralayer exchange interactions. A magnetic field ${B}_{C}\ensuremath{\sim}0.8$ T applied along the $c$ axis (perpendicular to the layers) triggers a metamagnetic transition, when every second layer flips, i.e., resulting in a ferrimagnetic structure. Significantly higher fields are required to rotate the ferromagnetic component towards the $b$ axis ($\ensuremath{\sim}$7 T) or towards the $a$ axis ($\ensuremath{\sim}$15 T). The estimates of the exchange coupling constants and features indicative of an $\mathit{XY}$ character of this quasi-2D system are presented.

Importance of Halogen···Halogen Contacts for the Structural and Magnetic Properties of CuX2(pyrazine-N,N′-dioxide)(H2O)2 (X = Cl and Br)

The structural and magnetic properties of the newly crystallized CuX(2)(pyzO)(H(2)O)(2) (X = Cl, Br; pyzO = pyrazine-N,N'-dioxide) coordination polymers are reported. These isostructural compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/c with, at 150 K, a = 17.0515(7) Å, b = 5.5560(2) Å, c = 10.4254(5) Å, β = 115.400(2)°, and V = 892.21(7) Å(3) for X = Cl and a = 17.3457(8) Å, b = 5.6766(3) Å, c = 10.6979(5) Å, β = 115.593(2)°, and V = 950.01(8) Å(3) for X = Br. Their crystal structure is characterized by one-dimensional chains of Cu(2+) ions linked through bidentate pyzO ligands. These chains are joined together through OH···O hydrogen bonds between the water ligands and pyzO oxygen atoms and Cu-X···X-Cu contacts. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements at ambient pressure show a broad maximum at 7 (Cl) and 28 K (Br) that is indicative of short-range magnetic correlations. The dominant spin exchange is the Cu-X···X-Cu supersuperexchange because the magnetic orbital of the Cu(2+) ion is contained in the CuX(2)(H(2)O)(2) plane and the X···X contact distances are short. The magnetic data were fitted to a Heisenberg 1D uniform antiferromagnetic chain model with J(1D)/k(B) = -11.1(1) (Cl) and -45.9(1) K (Br). Magnetization saturates at fields of 16.1(3) (Cl) and 66.7(5) T (Br), from which J(1D) is determined to be -11.5(2) (Cl) and -46.4(5) K (Br). For the Br analog the pressure dependence of the magnetic susceptibility indicates a gradual increase in the magnitude of J(1D)/k(B) up to -51.2 K at 0.84 GPa, suggesting a shortening of the Br···Br contact distance under pressure. At higher pressure X-ray powder diffraction data indicates a structural phase transition at ∼3.5 GPa. Muon-spin relaxation measurements indicate that CuCl(2)(pyzO)(H(2)O)(2) is magnetically ordered with T(N) = 1.06(1) K, while the signature for long-range magnetic order in CuBr(2)(pyzO)(H(2)O)(2) was much less definitive down to 0.26 K. The results for the CuX(2)(pyzO)(H(2)O)(2) complexes are compared to the related CuX(2)(pyrazine) materials.

Precise timing of the Upper Taghanic Biocrisis, Geneseo Bioevent, in the Middle–Upper Givetian (Middle Devonian) boundary in Northern Spain using biostratigraphic and magnetic susceptibility data sets

The ability to correlate with high precision among geological successions is critical in evaluating the global coincidence and therefore magnitude and duration of geological events. This is a difficult problem given resolution uncertainties and ambiguities in biostratigraphic data sets. The magnetostratigraphy susceptibility (MSS) method, based on low-field bulk magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements of closely spaced samples, provides a well-established, abiotic, high-resolution correlation tool in stratigraphy, that when combined with bio-, chemostratigraphic, and other geophysical techniques, offers ways to resolve correlation problems. In addition, such data sets lend themselves to time-series analysis, where developing high-resolution timing of events becomes possible. This paper examines the final episode (equivalent to the Geneseo Bioevent in the Appalachian Basin) of the important Taghanic Biocrisis known from globally distributed Middle Devonian geological sections. The Geneseo Bioevent is important because the extinction of some major fossil groups occurred during this time, while other groups declined significantly, including many benthonic groups. However, the maxima of extinctions does not appear to have occurred everywhere simultaneously. To help resolve timing of this bioevent, results are reported for two Middle Devonian successions from Northern Spain, the S. Huergas de Gordón and Punta Boletos sections, both showing the final Taghanic Biocrisis, Geneseo interval, and correlate these successions to the same interval within an independent, global database. Time-series analyses of the MSS data sets from the Spanish sections was performed using Multi-Taper (MTM) and Fourier Transform (FT) methods, and have extracted well-defined Milankovitch bands from the primary MS data from each section. Using FT and MTM values for eccentricity at ~ 400 kyr and ~ 100 kyr, a floating-point time scale was developed for the two Spanish sections that provides age resolution to ~ 50 kyr for these successions. The results show that the Geneseo Bioevent in Northern Spain occurred within a narrow time window estimated to have lasted for ~ 70 kyr. This time window fall s within the Polygnathus ansatus (uppermost part)– Ozarkodina semialternans conodont zones, just at the Middle–Upper Givetian boundary of the Middle Devonian in what appears to be the upper, regressive phase of T–R cycle IIa.

Structure and Properties of Manganese-Substituted Bismuth Titanates

Partial substitution of manganese for titanium in bismuth titanate is a potential method to introduce ferromagnetic properties to ferroelectric bismuth titanate. We have established that manganese-substituted bismuth titanate forms only at low manganese contents. As the manganese content is increased, secondary phases form. A combination of neutron and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction has been used to determine the structure of manganese-substituted bismuth titanates with chemical composition Bi4MnxTi3_xO12 (0 ≤ x ≤1 at 0.05 steps). Measurements between 4 K and 1073 K have been used to examine the phase transitions that they undergo. It was found the substitution of manganese into bismuth titanate increases the phase transition temperature to tetragonal by about 100 °C. Neutron diffraction and bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate the absence of long-range magnetic cation ordering in selected examples.

Mineralogical and spectroscopic investigation of enstatite chondrites by X‐ray diffraction and infrared reflectance spectroscopy

The mineralogy and infrared reflectance spectra of 13 Enstatite (E) chondrite meteorite finds spanning the full range of textural alteration grades in both EL and EH classes have been investigated. Rietveld refinement of high‐resolution powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) data was used to determine quantitative major mineral abundances. Sample‐correlated mid‐infrared (2.0 to 25.0 μm; 4500 cm−1 to 400 cm−1) reflectance infrared spectra were collected for each meteorite. Spectral features due to the fundamental lattice vibrations of the silicates, primarily enstatite, dominate the spectra of these meteorites over most of the spectral range investigated. The spectral features related to primary (i.e., pre‐terrestrial) mineralogy include fundamental stretching and bending lattice modes (∼8.3–25.0 μm; 1200–400 cm−1), overtones and combinations of the fundamental modes (∼4.5–6.1 μm; 2200–1650 cm−1), and the principle Christensen feature (∼8.3 μm; 1200 cm−1). Terrestrial weathering products including Fe‐oxyhydroxides, gypsum, and carbonates occur in most of these meteorites and contribute to some spectral features: particularly an asymmetric feature near ∼2.6 to 3.8 μm (3800 to 2600 cm−1) attributed to adsorbed, hydrogen‐bonded, and/or structural OH and H2O, and a feature near ∼6.2 μm (1625 cm−1) attributed to adsorbed, hydrogen‐bonded, and/or structural H2O. Modal mineral abundances determined by Rietveld refinement have been used to calculate model grain densities for each meteorite. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements combined with modal mineralogy and grain densities reveal a trend toward lower grain density and lower bulk susceptibility with increased terrestrial weathering.

Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements for determination of fly ash presence in concrete

Reproducible measurements of magnetic susceptibility χ m of laboratory and field extracted concrete core samples were achieved with simple instrumentation. There was a nearly linear relationship between χ m and the mass of fly ash per unit volume, or its volume fraction. The magnetic response of a given FA was not significantly affected by the process of curing and subsequent evolution of the concrete over two years, or by carbonation of the concrete. Field extracted concrete cores exhibited a wide range of χ m values. The group of specimens with the highest values of χ m also had the lowest chloride ion diffusivity, consistent with the presence of admixed FA. Conversely, specimens with nil magnetic response included those from concrete with the highest chloride diffusivity. The magnetic measurements provided reasonable order-of-magnitude indications of FA presence in field extracted cores. However, precise determination of FA content from magnetic measurements of field cores does not appear feasible in the absence of additional information.

Spin-singlet formation in the geometrically frustrated spinel oxideAlV2O4:V51andA27lNMR measurements

We report $^{51}\text{V}$ and $^{27}\text{A}\text{l}$ NMR studies of the spin-frustrated spinel oxide ${\text{AlV}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{4}$ in a temperature range from 850 to 2 K across a structural phase transition at 700 K. Knight shifts and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates at the V and Al sites show that the local spin susceptibility at two V sites diminishes at low temperatures in the insulating state, giving direct evidence for the spin-singlet formation. In addition to the singlet spins, one of the two Al sites probes paramagnetic spins with the Curie-Weiss behavior and the spin-glass transition. The results demonstrate coexistence of the spin-singlet cluster and the nearly free spins, anticipated from a theoretical model and the bulk magnetic-susceptibility measurements.