TRANSPORT, MAGNETIC AND THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF REPD(2)GA(3), RE=PR, ND, SM

We present various investigations on the transport, magnetic and therm odynamic properties of the new ternary compounds REPd(2)Ga(3) with RE = Pr, Nd, Sm. While PrPd2Ga3 does not show long-range magnetic order d own to about 0.3 K, both NdPd2Ga3 and SmPd2Ga3 order magnetically. The latter exhibits a ferromagnetic ground state with weak ordered moment s below T-C = 16.9 K and the former orders antiferromagnetically below T-N = 6.5 K with ordered Nd moments of 1.99(4) mu(B) at saturation in the basal plane oriented perpendicular to the propagation vector k = [1/2, 0, 0]. The possibility of a Kondo type interaction in PrPd2Ga3 i s discussed.