The Actinides: Electronic Structure and Related Properties

The Actinides: Electronic Structure and Related Properties, Volume I reviews major advances that have been made concerning the electronic structure and properties of actinide elements, alloys, and compounds. The electronic energy band structure and magnetic properties of the actinides are examined, and results of hyperfine and neutron scattering studies are presented. Comprised of six chapters, this book opens with a historical introduction to actinide research followed by a chapter on crystal field theory that discusses the behavior of 5f electrons in actinide compounds when exposed to strong crystal-field interactions, with emphasis on the strong intra-atomic correlation between electrons. The following chapters discuss the electronic energy band structure of the actinide metals, as derived from energy band theory; the magnetic properties of the actinide compounds in relation to their electronic structure; and the microscopic electronic properties of actinide metals and compounds obtained from nuclear magnetic resonance and neutron scattering studies. The final chapter summarizes the unique contribution by slow neutron-scattering experiments. This volume will be useful to scientists involved in work on the actinides as well as newcomers in the field.