Effect of ordering on the specific heat of Cu3Au below 3 °K

Abstract

Ordering reduces the nuclear, electronic, and lattice specific heats. The change in nuclear specific heat supports the hypothesis that this term in the specific heat arises from the interaction of nuclear electric quadrupole moments with electric field gradients in the disordered lattice. The small (3.5%) change in the electronic specific heat suggests little change in the Fermi surface on ordering. The change in the lattice specific heat is greater than expected from elastic constant measurements on ordered and disordered Cu3Au.