Abstract
Mössbauer studies of the isomer shift, recoil-free fraction, and quadrupole splitting for Fe57 in FeF2 between 80 and 300°K are reported. The temperature dependence of the isomer shift and recoil-free fraction are well explained within the harmonic approximation. The ascertained sum of the microscopic force constants acting on the Fe++ ion is K=(1.24±0.07)×105 dyn/cm. The weighted frequency average associated with the classical mean-square displacement of the Fe57 is 1ω212=(2.08±0.05)×1013 sec1. Analysis of the quadrupole splitting, coupled with an analysis of the magnetic behavior by Lines, leads to a reassessment of the measurable effects of covalency upon the crystal-field, spin-orbit, and hyperfine interaction. The spin-orbit coupling parameter is estimated to be λ=85 cm1. Using this value for the spin-orbit coupling parameter, the resulting crystal-field splitting of the T25 orbital levels which describe the temperature dependence of the quadrupole splitting are Δ1=780±40 cm1 and Δ2=930±70 cm1. The r3eff=3.0±0.3a03 for the d electrons and the contact contribution to the internal field at 4.2°K is Hc=518±25 kOe.