Stoner theory support for the two-state hypothesis for γ iron

Stoner theory investigations of the FCC phase of transition metals have revealed the existence of two stable electronic spin states, both ferromagnetically ordered in the region of iron. Findings concerning the energetics of the two states have been substantiated by fully self-consistent band calculations within the atomic sphere approximation using the local spin density functional treatment of exchange and correlation. This provides the first theoretical support, within the itinerant electron theory of magnetism, for the two- gamma -state hypothesis of Weiss (1963).