Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
Symmetry and stability of plutonium: the influence of electronic structure
K T Moore1, P Söderlind, A J Schwartz
1Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA. moore78@llnl.gov
Abstract:
Using first-principles density-functional theory, we calculate the bond strengths between the 12 nearest neighbors in delta plutonium for both pure Pu and a Pu-3.7 at. % Ga alloy. Our results for pure Pu reveal a structure with the monoclinic space group Cm rather than face-centered cubic Fm3m, showing that the anomalously large anisotropy of delta plutonium is a consequence of greatly varying bond strengths between the 12 nearest neighbors. Further results for a Pu-3.7 at. % Ga alloy show that the nearest-neighbor bond strengths around a Ga atom are more uniform. Hence, our calculations address (i) why the ground state of Pu is monoclinic, (ii) why distortions of the delta phase are viable, with considerable implications for the behavior of the material as it ages due to anisotropic response to self-irradiation, and (iii) why Ga stabilizes face-centered cubic delta-Pu.
More Related Videos
09:18Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Published on: December 14, 2017
10:42Combining Solid-state and Solution-based Techniques: Synthesis and Reactivity of Chalcogenidoplumbates(II or IV)
Published on: December 29, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Nuclear Stability
To hold positively charged protons together in the...
Electron Configurations
The relative energies of the subshells determine the order in which atomic orbitals are filled (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s,...
Electronic Structure of Atoms
An atom comprises protons and neutrons, which are contained inside the dense, central core called the nucleus, with electrons present around the nucleus. Taking into account the wave–particle duality of electrons and the uncertainty in position around the nucleus, quantum mechanics provides a more accurate model for the atomic structure. It describes atomic orbitals as the regions around the nucleus where electrons of discrete energy exist, characterized by four quantum numbers: n, l, ml, and...
Electron Configuration of Multielectron Atoms
Nuclear Binding Energy
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview