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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.
Steven T. Polkinghorne
Nuclear Technology | Volume 108 | Number 3 | December 1994 | Pages 395-412
Technical Paper | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A35022
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ability of the ATR-SINDA fuel plate model to predict the thermal behavior of Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) fuel plates under steady-state and transient conditions is demonstrated. Computer-generated results from ten steady-state calculations and two transient calculations are compared with experimental data obtained during ATR startup tests. The calculations simulate natural convection, forced convection, flow reversal, and flow instability in specially instrumented fuel elements. Calculated temperatures are generally within 10 K of measured temperatures, confirming that ATR-SINDA is suitable for analyzing plate-type fuel.