The effect of Th substitution for U in the heavy fermion U2Pt2In

Polycrystalline (U1-xThx)(2)Pt2In solid solutions with x=0.03, 0.05, 0.08 a nd 0.10 were synthesized by are melting the constituents under a purified A r atmosphere. All the compounds crystallize in a tetragonal U3Si2-type stru cture, with the space-group P/mbm, (Z=2). The effects of Th substitution fo r U on the magnetic properties suggest pronounced electron correlations as in the heavy fermion U,Pt,Iu. However, no clear indication of magnetic orde ring in all the compounds was found. The magnetic phase transitions around 3 and 19 K, found by means of ac-susceptibility and magnetization measureme nts are most likely due to the presence of minority phases. (C) 2001 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.