Localized modes in tantalum hydrides studied by neutron inelastic scattering

The local vibration spectra of hydrogen atoms dissolved in tantalum have been studied by the energy-loss scattering of pulsed neutrons. The observed time-of-flight spectra show split peaks of the local modes near 120 and 175 meV, which are almost invariant with changing concentration (H/Ta=0.1, 0.5 and 0.7) and configuration of hydrogen at 200 and 850C. From comparison with previous neutron results on niobium and vanadium hydrides, it is shown that the energies of the split local modes are nearly independent of the metal-hydrogen distance, and the relative intensity and the FWHM of the high energy mode increase in the disordered phase at 850C in comparison with the ordered phase at 200C. (auth.)