The Energy Loss of α-Particles in Ferromagnetic Nickel at Phase Transition

The energy loss (EL) of 5.486 MeV α-particles in ferromagnetic nickel foils was measured at different temperatures of the foils. The temperature of the foils was controlled and recorded using a PC-based temperature controller with an accuracy of ±0.01°C. It is observed that the energy loss in ferromagnetic nickel increases by 2–5% as the material goes from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic state. Thus our results show that the phase transition in ferromagnetic materials affects energy loss.