Magnetocaloric and magnetoresistance studies of GdPd2Si

The compound GdPd2Si, which is reported to order antiferromagnetically at 1 3 K, has been investigated by heat capacity and electrical resistivity meas urement in the presence of external magnetic fields. In contrast to an earl ier report, the zero-field heat capacity and resistivity data indicate two magnetic transitions at 13 and 17 K. The external magnetic field substantia lly influences the resistivity and heat capacity of the compound around the magnetic ordering temperature. The magnetocaloric effect, which is calcula ted from in-field heat capacity data, is quite large around the magnetic tr ansition temperature. The magnetoresistance is also large near the magnetic ordering temperature. The metamagnetic transition is observed for 10 kOe m agnetic field both in magnetocaloric and in magnetoresistance data. The met amagnetic transition strongly influences the magnetocaloric effect and magn etoresistance, which is large in this compound.