Why does nuclear fission produce pear-shaped nuclei?

Nuclear fission is a process in which a heavy nucleus split into two. Most of the actinides nuclei (plutonium, uranium, curium, etc) fission asymmetrically with one big fragment and one small. Empirically, the heavy fragment ...

Very heavy elements deliver more electrons

Actinides, a series of 15 radioactive elements, are vital to medicine, energy, and national defense. Scientists examined two exceedingly rare actinides, berkelium and californium. These elements are at the extreme end of ...

Supercomputing mimics berkelium experiments to validate new find

The Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) has enabled scientists to explore an unexpected oxidation state in the rare, radioactive element berkelium that was first observed in experiment. ...

Researchers model spent nuclear fuels

(Phys.org) —Lawrence Livermore scientists have modeled actinide-based alloys, such as spent nuclear fuel, in an effort to predict the impact of evolving fuel chemistry on material performance.

Research provides new insights into actinide

(Phys.org) -- A team of DOE researchers from the Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley and Los Alamos national laboratories and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, studying the fundamental properties of the actinide elements, has ...

A safer route to a nuclear future?

By using thorium instead of uranium as fuel, nuclear power could be safer and more sustainable, according to new research.

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