For historical reasons, plutonium brings to mind nuclear weapons. Jan Hartmann brings another side of element 94 to attention, which features an upcoming trip to its eponymous celestial body.

Plutonium-238 is 280 times more radioactive than Plutonium-239, the plutonium isotope used in atomic bombs and as a “trigger” in hydrogen bombs. There are 10.6 pounds of Plutonium-238 on ...

It’s estimated that the plutonium could be used to make between 40 and 50 nuclear weapons. The plutonium is currently kept at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s fast critical assembly.

Plutonium (Pu) is an environmental cytotoxin whose systemic metabolism is very poorly defined. As this man-made heavy-metal waste product accumulates in the biosphere, it is increasingly necessary ...

Plutonium's real attraction to specialists is the fact that it can be readily produced from U-238, which is a mostly useless isotope that represents 99.3% of naturally occurring uranium.

SEOUL — The plutonium Japan has stockpiled for decades was supposed to be a smart energy source for the resource-poor nation. But last year's earthquake-triggered nuclear accident, along with ...

Plutonium joins the carbene club Researchers report first plutonium-carbon multiple bonds, illuminating periodic trends by Brianna Barbu February 15, 2024 2 min read Share ...

The plutonium-244 hints at how heavy metals form in stars. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. A rare version of the ...

Lightbridge plutonium disposition fuel variant consumes 5.5 times more plutonium per fuel rod than mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. Lightbridge’s proprietary next-generation nuclear fuel technology features ...

Most plutonium on Earth, made in reactors, is plutonium 239. Its nucleus holds 145 neutrons, and it is the material that is typically used to set off the explosive force of a hydrogen bomb.

In the 1950s, scientists at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina, developed a method of producing plutonium-238, a manufactured radioactive isotope, in large enough quantities that its ...

Today, the plutonium stockpile has reached 47 tons, including 37 tons stored in Britain and France, which have been commissioned to reprocess spent fuel from Japan's nuclear power plants.