  The magnetic ground state of the antiferromagnet Kondo lattice compound
Ce8Pd24Ga has been investigated using neutron powder diffraction, inelastic
neutron scattering and zero-field muon spin relaxation measurements. The
neutron diffraction analysis, below TN (3.6(0.2)K), reveals a commensurate
type-C antiferromagnetic structure with the ordered state magnetic moment of
\~0.36 mB/Ce-atom along the cubic <111> direction. The analysis of the
inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data based on the crystal field (CF) model
reveals a doublet ground state with a ground state moment of 1.29 mB/Ce-atom.
The observed magnetic moment from neutron diffraction, which is small compared
to the expected value from CF-analysis, is attributed to screening of the local
Ce moment by the Kondo effect. This is supported by the observed Kondo-type
resistivity and a small change in the entropy of Ce8Pd24Ga at TN. The
zero-field muon spin relaxation rate exhibits a sharp increase below TN
indicating ordering of Ce moments, in agreement with the neutron diffraction
data. The present studies reveal that the physical properties of Ce8Pd24Ga are
governed by the onsite Kondo compensation, the moment stabilizing intersite
RKKY interaction and the crystal field effect.
