Abstract
The K X-ray absorption spectra of some intermetallic compounds of cobalt have been recorded using a 40 cm Cauchois-type bent spectrograph. It is observed that the main K absorption discontinuity in the compounds shifts to the high-energy side with respect to that in the cobalt metal. The observed chemical shifts can be related to the effective charges on the cobalt ions in the different compounds, which are calculated on the basis of Suchet's theory. An attempt has been made to explain the observed correlation.