Inelastic neutron scattering measurements on aluminum metal were performed at temperatures of 10, 150, 300, 525, and 775 K using direct-geometry Fermi chopper spectrometers. The temperature dependent phonon density of states ͑DOS͒ was determined from the scattering, and was used to fit Born-von Kármán models of lattice dynamics. The shifts in the phonon frequencies with increasing temperature were largely explained by the softening of the longitudinal force constants out to third nearest neighbors. A significant broadening of the phonon spectra at high temperatures was also measured. The phonon DOS was used to determine the vibrational contributions to the entropy of aluminum as a function of temperature. All other contributions to the entropy of aluminum were calculated or assessed, and the total entropy was in excellent agreement with the NIST-JANAF compilation ͓M. W. Chase, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data Monogr. 9, 59 ͑1998͔͒. Anharmonic effects were attributed to phonon-phonon interactions. The quasiharmonic approximation was generally successful, but its weaknesses are discussed.

We have studied the phonon density of states (PDOS) in LaFeAsO(1-x)Fx with inelastic neutron scattering methods. The PDOS of the parent compound (x=0) is very similar to the PDOS of samples optimally doped with fluorine to achieve the maximum Tc (x approximately 0.1). Good agreement is found between the experimental PDOS and first-principles calculations with the exception of a small difference in Fe mode frequencies. The PDOS reported here is not consistent with conventional electron-phonon mediated superconductivity.

Measurements of elastic and inelastic neutron scatterings from elemental nickel were made at 10, 300, 575, 875, and 1275 K. The phonon densities of states ͑DOSs͒ were calculated from the inelastic scattering and were fit with Born-von Kármán models of the lattice dynamics. With ancillary data on thermal expansion and elastic moduli, we found a small, negative anharmonic contribution to the phonon entropy at high temperature. We used this to place bounds on the magnetic entropy of nickel. A significant broadening of the phonon DOS at elevated temperatures, another indication of anharmonicity, was also measured and quantified.

Inelastic neutron scattering was used to measure the phonon densities of states ͑DOSs͒ for pure V and solid solutions of V with 6 to 7at% of Co, Nb, and Pt, at temperatures from 10 K to 1323 K. Ancillary measurements of heat capacity and thermal expansion are reported on V and V-7at%Co and used to help identify the different sources of entropy. Pure V exhibits an anomalous anharmonic stiffening of phonons with increasing temperature. This anharmonicity is suppressed by Co and Pt, but not by isoelectronic Nb solutes. The changes in phonon frequency with alloying and with temperature both correlate to the decrease in electron density of states ͑DOS͒ at the Fermi level as calculated using density functional theory. The effects of both temperature and alloying can be understood in terms of an adiabatic electron-phonon interaction ͑EPI͒, which broadens sharp features in the electron DOS. These results show that the adiabatic EPI can influence the phonon thermodynamics at temperatures exceeding 1000 K, and that thermal trends of phonons may help assess the strength of the EPI.

Inelastic neutron scattering was used to measure the phonon densities of states of the A15 compounds V3Si, V3Ge, and V3Co at temperatures from 10 to 1,273 K. It was found that phonons in V3Si and V3Ge, which are superconducting at low temperatures, exhibit an anomalous stiffening with increasing temperature, whereas phonons in V3Co have a normal softening behavior. First-principles calculations show that this anomalous increase in phonon frequencies at high temperatures originates with an adiabatic electron-phonon coupling mechanism. The anomaly is caused by the thermally induced broadening of sharp peaks in the electronic density of states of V3Si and V3Ge, which tends to decrease the electronic density at the Fermi level. These results show that the adiabatic electron-phonon coupling can influence the phonon thermodynamics at temperatures exceeding 1,000 K.