Superconductivity: A new window on plutonium's complexity

From: JOM | Date: September 1, 2003| Author: | Copyright information

Superconductivity has recently been discovered in a plutonium intermetallic compound (PuCoGa^sub 5^) at the surprisingly high temperature of 18.5 K. This article discusses the motivation that led to this discovery as well as what it implies for the understanding of both unconventional superconductivity and the metallurgy of plutonium.

INTRODUCTION

Plutonium is arguably the most complicated elemental metal. Between absolute zero and its rather low melting point of 650[degrees]C, plutonium exists in six distinct crystal structures. These range from the monoclinic alpha phase that is stable at ...

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