Nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation by Os 187

We performed nuclear forward and inelastic scattering of synchrotron radiation by elemental Os utilizing the nuclear excited state of Os187 which is otherwise inaccessible using any practical radioactive decay process. The lifetime of the excited state, 3.06(8)ns, and the energy of the transition, 9.778(3)keV, are refined. The nuclear quadrupole moment of the excited state, Q3/2=1.46(10)b, is determined. The density of phonon states for elemental Os, which is herein experimentally determined, suggests that the Os lattice is a model for the lattice dynamics of hcp-Fe. The combination of the low energy of the nuclear transition and the large nuclear mass leads to a high recoil free fraction, fLM=0.95(1), at room temperature, a large value that strongly supports the viability of nuclear resonance scattering as a reliable method to study electronic, magnetic, and elastic properties of Os compounds, including Os organometallics.