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INL reports findings on unusual quantum behavior of plutonium
Scientists at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered that plutonium hexaboride (PuB6) displays a type of unusual quantum property called a topological Kondo insulating state. Materials with this property are neither typical electricity conductors nor regular insulators. Rather, they have exterior surfaces that strongly conduct electricity and interiors that block electricity.
Theo G. Theofanous, Hongfei Yan, Farouk Eltawila
Nuclear Technology | Volume 101 | Number 3 | March 1993 | Pages 299-331
Technical Paper | Severe Accident Technology / Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34792
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An integrated analysis of Mark-I liner attack in a postulated core-melt accident is presented. The approach consists of the mechanistic treatment of the sequence of physical phenomena that lead to liner contact by corium debris and their coupling through a probabilistic framework that allows representation of uncertainties. A physically consistent treatment in each sequence is emphasized, but qualitatively different scenarios to represent the range of behavior due to model uncertainties are allowed. The results are presented in a format that allows their direct use in probabilistic risk assessments; in particular, expert opinion is incorporated by a new methodological approach that involves expert review of, and comment on, a fully documented study all under one cover. The study itself is presented in three parts here; the expert inputs can be found in NUREG/CR-5423.