Low-temperature magnetic and thermal properties of CePdSb

Abstract

Low-temperature ac and dc magnetic susceptibility, high-field magnetization, and specific-heat measurements have been carried out on CePdSb. The magnetic measurements confirm the ferromagnetic transition at ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{C}}$=17 K as previously reported. However, no anomaly in the specific heat is observed at that temperature, but only the onset of the magnetic contribution, ${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{M}}$(T). The maximum of ${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{M}}$(T) is observed at ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{max}}$=9.7 K. The lack of a ${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{M}}$(T) jump at ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{C}}$ is discussed in terms of the comparison of the exchange integrals between first- and second-nearest magnetic neighbors. Depending on their relative values, the magnetic structure can behave as low dimensional or incommensurate. The entropy of the magnetic phase (R ln2) and the low density of states (\ensuremath{\gamma}=11 mJ/mol ${\mathrm{K}}^{2}$) excludes a Kondo-lattice character for this compound.