  We have studied the magnetic, thermal and magnetotransport properties of
polycrystalline Gd5Ge3. It is found that the compound is a strong
antiferromagnet and does not undergo any strong metamagnetic transition even in
a field of 90 kOe. However, a small but visible ferromagnetic component is
found to coexist with the antiferromagnetic order at low temperatures, as
revealed by the anomalies in magnetization, magnetoresistance and heat capacity
data. Our data suggest that the ferromagnetic component is of magnetostructural
in origin, as evidenced by the strong field induced irreversibility of the
magnetoresistance and heat capacity isotherms. The first order like
magnetostructural distortion established in this material is found to result in
a martensitic like scenario wherein the kinetic arrest controls the
field/temperature dependence of physical properties such as heat capacity and
magnetoresistance.
