Parent compounds AFe 2 As 2 (A = Ca, Ba, Eu) of the 122 family of the iron-based superconductors have been studied by 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy in the temperature range 4.2-∼300 K. Spin density waves (SDW) have been found with some confidence. They are either incommensurate with the lattice period or the ratio of the respective periods is far away from the ratio of small integers. SDW shape is very unconventional (i.e., differs from the sinusoidal shape). Magnetic order starts with lowered temperature as narrow sheets of the significant electron spin density separated by areas with very small spin density. Magnetic sheets are likely to be ordered in the alternate antiferromagnetic fashion as the material as a whole behaves similarly to the collinear antiferromagnet. A further lowering of temperature simply expands sheet thickness leading to the near triangular SDW. Finally, sheets fill the whole available space and the almost rectangular shape of the SDW is reached. The substantial maximum amplitude of SDW appears at the temperature just below the magnetic onset temperature, and this maximum amplitude increases slightly with lowering temperature. The square root from the mean squared hyperfine field behaves versus temperature according to the universality class (1,2) (i.e., with the electronic spin space having dimensionality equal to unity and the real space having dimensionality equal to 2). The more or less pronounced tail above transition temperature due to the development of incoherent SDW is seen.

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a b s t r a c tSuperconducting FeSe has been investigated by measurements of the magnetic susceptibility versus temperature and Mössbauer spectroscopy at various temperatures including strong external magnetic fields applied to the absorber. It was found that isomer shift exhibits sharply defined increase at about 105 K leading to the lowering of the electron density on iron nucleus by 0.02 electron a.u. −3 . Above jump in the electron density is correlated with the transition from the P4/nmm to the Cmma structure, while decreasing temperature. Mössbauer measurements in the external magnetic field and for temperatures below transition to the superconducting state revealed null magnetic moment on iron atoms. Hence, the compound exhibits either Pauli paramagnetism or diamagnetic behavior. The principal component of the electric field gradient on the iron nucleus was found as negative on the iron site.