Spin polarization of conduction electrons in Gd

Neutron diffraction measurements on single crystals of ¹⁶⁰Gd have been performed which allow the reconstruction, by Fourier synthesis, of the magnetization as a function of position. It is shown that the total magnetic moment density can be separated in a logical manner into a local part and a diffuse part. It is suggested that the local part corresponds to the $4f$ polarization and the diffuse part to the conduction-electron polarization. Contour maps show the diffuse contribution to be long range and oscillatory.