Magnetocaloric Effect and Transition Order in $HoAl_{2}$

Magnetic measurements of $HoAl_{2}$ are reported. The compound crystallizes in the cubic $MgCu_{2}$-type crystal structure. $HoAl_{2}$ exhibits two successive magnetic transitions: below $T_{c}$ = 29 K a ferromagnetic order is formed while anomaly at $T_{t}$ = 20 K is related to reorientation of magnetic moment. Near transition temperatures a magnetocaloric effect with magnetic entropy changes -$ΔS_{m}$ equal to 6.3 J/(mol K) at $T_{c}$ and 5.0 J/(mol K) at $T_{t}$ for an external field $μ_{0}H$ = 9 T is observed.