Mössbauer effect of Fe⁵⁷ embedded as very dilute substitutional impurities in Pd₂MnSn was studied. The impurities are seen to replace the three elements in the alloy. Although the Curie temperature of the alloy is 189K, well below the room temperature, the Mössbauer spectrum recorded at room temperature consisted of two distinct 6-finger magnetic hyperfine spectra and a single unsplit line. One of the 6-finger patterns which corresponds to an internal magnetic field ofH_int=−375 kOe is inferred to arise due to local magnetic coupling of the localized magnetic moments of Fe impurities at the Pd sites with those of the 4 Mn first nearest neighbours of the Fe impurities. The other 6-finger pattern which corresponds to an internal magnetic field ofH_int=−335 kOe is inferred to arise due to the local magnetic coupling of the localized magnetic moments of the Fe impurities at the Sn sites with those of the 6 Mn second nearest neighboours of the Fe impurities. The difference in the internal magnetic fields observed at the Pd and Sn sites in the alloy could be understood qualitatively, on the basis of RKKY theory, as arising due to the different conduction electron polarization contributions to the net internal magnetic field at the Fe impurity sites. The results of the measurements suggest that the localized magnetic moments of Fe⁵⁷ impurities at Pd and Sn sites are antiferromagnetically coupled with the moments of their neighbouring Mn atoms.

The recoilless absorption spectra of iron in the ternary alloys CoFeGe, CoFeSb and FeMnGe, which possess B8₂ type structure, reveal the existence of different ordering temperatures of moments at 2(a) and 2(d) sites. Using the Einstein model to describe the second order Doppler shift, it has been found thatΘ_E appropriate to the thermal motions of iron atoms at 2(a) and 2(d) sites in CoFeGe are different, which is also suggested by the temperature dependences of the relative areas of the corresponding component spectra. In CoFeSb, on the other hand, relative areas of the component spectra are independent of temperature, and give the relative distribution of iron at the inequivalent sites. A large difference in the isomer shifts of 2(a) and 2(d) site spectra indicates a larger number of d-electrons in the atomi configuration for 2(a) atoms. The isomer shift change is negative for 2(a) site nuclei and positive for 2(d) site nuclei with increase in temperature. The magnetic fields at 2(d) site nuclei in CoFeGe and CoFeSb alloys indicate that the moments of the parent atoms are not much different from the value in iron metal.

Phonon frequencies in beryllium along the principal symmetry directions have been determined by means of the slow neutron inelastic scattering technique. The data are analysed in terms of a six-neighbour force constant model and the force constants are evaluated. It is concluded that strong tensor forces are present in beryllium and the importance of this finding to basic theories of lattice dynamics is pointed out.

Coherent inelastic neutron scattering techniques are employed to measure several branches of the phoon dispersion relation in KNO₃ in its orthorhombic (α-phase or phase II) form at room temperature. Group theoretical selection rules for external modes of the crystal have been used in the measurements along the three symmetry directions Σ(ξ00), Δ(0ξ0) and Λ(00ξ).

Theoretical investigation of the lattice dynamics of the crystal is carried out on the basis of a rigid molecular-ion model using the external mode formalism. A two-body potential consisting of the Coulombic interaction and the Born-Mayer type short range interaction is assumed. The effective charges and radii of different atoms are determined by applying the stability criterion for the crystal. Dispersion curves are calculated, representation by representation, making use of group theoretical information. Comparison of theoretical results with experimental information on elastic constants, optical data and neutron results are made. Agreement between theoretical and the various experimental results may be considered very satisfactory.

Design and construction details of a horizontal 2 MV Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator built at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre are given. A terminal voltage of 2.15 MV has been achieved. Energy analysed Corona stabilized beams of protons and oxygen ions have been obtained. Experiments have been carried out to test the performance of the accelerator.

Discovery of the neutron in 1932 by Chadwick ushered in a new era of scientific research and technology. The neutron is endowed with unique properties in its mass, life time, spin and magnetic moment etc and every important property has been used in the study of condensed matter, biological molecules, nuclear forces, stellar objects and other fields. Neutron has a wide range of applications in power production, breeding of fissile fuel, radiography, medicine and others.