Abstract
The high-pressure behaviour of Cm and Am0.5Cm0.5 binary alloy is investigated theoretically using ab initio electronic structure methods. Our calculations reproduce the structural phase transitions, which are observed in recent experiment performed by Heathman et al. [S. Heathman, R.G. Haire, T. Le Bihan et al., Science 309 110 (2005)] and Lindbaum et al. [A. Lindbaum, S. Heathman, T. Le Bihan et al., J. Phys: Condens. Matter 15 S2297 (2003)]. Calculated transition pressures are in reasonable agreement with the experimental values. Calculations performed for an antiferromagnetic state are essential to reproduce the stability of Cm-III phase.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported in part by grants from Swedish Research Council (VR-SIDA), Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF), and STINT. We are also thankful to G.H. Lander, R.G. Haire, and S. Heathman for useful discussion.