ENHANCED EXCHANGE IN THE ITINERANT FERROMAGNET UFE2

Neutron inelastic-scattering experiments on the itinerant ferromagnet UFe2 have shown that the strong hybridization between the U 5 (f) unde r bar and Fe 3 (d) under bar electrons results in a number of major ch anges compared to the physics of the isostructural RFe(2) (R = Tb, Ho, and Er) compounds. We have observed that the Fe-Fe exchange interacti on in this compound is actually greater at low temperature than it is in pure iron. This situation is not found in the RFe(2) compounds. Exc itations involving the U moments are heavily damped. We conclude with remarks on the possibility of synthesizing compounds with high Curie t emperatures containing uranium.