Low-Temperature Magnetic Relaxation in a Dilute Iron–Silicon Alloy after Electron Irradiation at 44 K

Magnetic aftereffect measurements are performed on a dilute FeSi alloy (Fe + 0.51 at% Si) following low-temperature (44 K) irradiation with 3 MeV electrons. Immediately after irradiation, an unstructured relaxation process is observed between 2.5 and 8 K. On anneal in the temperature region of stage III (190 K < T < 250 K), a Debye-type relaxation peak centred at 17 K builds up. The activation parameters of both these processes are determined and the relaxations are discussed in terms of complexes which are composed of irradiation defects and silicon atoms.