Effect of Temperature on Non-Destructive Wave Propagation in Uranium Monopnictides

Acoustic attenuation due to phonon-phonon interaction, thermoelastic mechanism and dislocation damping were evaluated in uranium monopnictides (viz. UN, UAs and USb) in the temperature range 50-500 K, along the three crystallographic directions of propagation, viz. [100], [110] and [111] for longitudinal and shear modes of propagation. Due to antiferromagnetic property of these compounds ultrasonic attenuation due to magnon-phonon interaction was also obtained. The second- and third-order elastic moduli of B1-type uranium monopnictides were obtained using electrostatic and the Born repulsive potentials. Gruneisen numbers and acoustic coupling constants were evaluated for longitudinal and shear waves along different directions of propagation and polarization. Results were discussed and compared with available data. It was found that the temperature dependence of attenuation due to phonon-phonon interaction and thermoelastic loss mechanisms follow the third and fourth order polynomial fit laws, respectively, and acoustic attenuation is mainly governed by phonon-phonon interaction in this temperature range.