  We report the synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic properties of the S=1
2-leg spin-ladder compound Na_2Ni_2(C_2O_4)_3(H_2O)_2. The magnetic properties
were examined by magnetic susceptibility and pulsed high field magnetization
measurements. The magnetic excitations have been measured in high field high
frequency ESR. Although the Ni(II) ions form structurally a 2-leg ladder, an
isolated dimer model consistently describes the observations very well. The
analysis of the temperature dependent magnetization data leads to a magnetic
exchange constant of J=43 K along the rungs of the ladder and an average value
of the g-factor of 2.25. From the ESR measurements, we determined the single
ion anisotropy to D=11.5 K. The validity of the isolated dimer model is
supported by Quantum Monte Carlo calculations, performed for several ratios of
interdimer and intradimer magnetic exchange and taking into account the
experimentally determined single ion anisotropy. The results can be understood
in terms of the different coordination and superexchange angles of the oxalate
ligands along the rungs and legs of the 2-leg spin ladder.
