  We report an alternative mechanism for the physical origin of the
temperature-dependent ferromagnetic relaxation of Permalloy (NiFe) thin films.
Through spin-pumping experiments, we demonstrate that the peak in the
temperature-dependence of NiFe damping can be understood in terms of enhanced
spin angular momentum absorption at the magnetic phase transition in
antiferromagnetic surface-oxidized layers. These results suggest new avenues
for the investigation of an incompletely-understood phenomenon in physics.
