  Neutron diffraction, magnetization, resistivity, and heat capacity
measurements on the 6H-perovskite Ba3BiRu2O9 reveal simultaneous magnetic and
structural dimerization driven by strong magnetoelastic coupling. An
isostructural but strongly displacive first-order transition on cooling through
T*=176 K is associated with a change in the nature of direct Ru-Ru bonds within
Ru2O9 face-sharing octahedra. Above T*, Ba3BiRu2O9 is an S=1 magnetic dimer
system with intradimer exchange interactions J0/kB=320 K and interdimer
exchange interactions J'/kB=-160 K. Below T*, a spin-gapped state emerges with
\Delta\approx220 K. Ab initio calculations confirm antiferromagnetic exchange
within dimers, but the transition is not accompanied by long range-magnetic
order.
