Magnetic Ground State Properties of Transition Metals

We review a simple one-electron theory of the magnetic and cohesive properties of ferro- and nearly ferromagnetic transition metals at 0 K. The theory is based on the density functional formalism, it makes use of the local spin density and atomic sphere approximations and it may, with further approximations, be reduced to the Stoner model.

Results for the volume dependence of the ferromagnetic moment and the electronic pressure of bcc, fcc and hcp Fe are presented, together with theoretical values for the equilibrium atomic volume, the bulk modulus, the ferromagnetic moment, the spin susceptibility and the pressure derivatives of these quantities in Ni, Rh, Pd, Ir and Pt.