Low-temperature thermal expansion of manganese diboride

The anisotropic thermal expansion of manganese diboride was determined by neutron diffraction over the temperature range 5 to 298 deg K. The variation of lattice parameter with temperature is defined by the equations a =3.0044 + 4.9 x 10/sup -6/ T and c = 3.0358-2 x l0/sup -6/ T + 7 x l0/sup -8/ T/sup 2/. The c parameter is found to contract initially, passing through a minimum at 14 deg K. (auth