A systematic study of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, x-ray resonant mag
netic scattering, and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at the L-2,L-3 ed
ges of Nd on Nd2Fe14B is presented. The combined information allows to assi
gn a dipolar or quadrupolar origin to different features appearing in the e
xperimental spectra and to study the thermal dependence of the Nd moment or
ientation below the spin reorientation transition which takes place at T-SR
T=135 K, (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(98)25011-0].