Anomalous compression in UAl3 - an experimental and computational study

High-pressure x-ray diffraction experiments were performed on UAl3 up to 23 GPa. Anomalous compressibility behaviour of the system was observed in the pressure range 7-14 GPa. The experiments are compared with similar observations in UGa3, UIn3, UGe3 and USn3. Band structure calculations have been performed to look for a possible explanation of this behaviour through the concept of electron transfer from the f to the d orbitals. (author)