Site-selective magnetic order of neptunium in Np2Ni17

International audienceWe present the results obtained by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, specific heat, and Mossbauer spectroscopy measurements carried out on Np2Ni17 polycrystalline samples. We show that long-range magnetic order, with a moment mu((2b)) similar to 2.25 mu(B), occurs below T-N = 17.5 K on the Np (2b) sites. A nontrivial situation is observed in that the other Np sites (2d) do not take part to the order transition and carry only an induced moment of about 0.2 mu(B) below T-N. A combined analysis of the different experimental data sets allowed us to determine key parameters associated with the electronic structure of the system. The experimental results are discussed against first-principles electronic structure calculations based on the spin-polarized local spin density approximation plus Hubbard interaction