Potential Applications of ^242mAm as a Nuclear Fuel

The isomer ^242mAm with a half-life of 141 yr is obtained from an (n, γ) capture reaction with ²⁴¹ Am. The latter is a decay product of ²⁴¹Pu. The isomer ^242mAm has the highest known thermal fission cross section. The cross sections of this isomer are evaluated. Unit cell calculations show that nuclear systems with ^242mAm require less fuel by a factor of 2 to 100 compared to conventional fuels. These results indicate that potential applications of americium fuel exist, particularly for space reactors.