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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.
W. S. Yeung, J. Shirkov
Nuclear Technology | Volume 114 | Number 1 | April 1996 | Pages 141-145
Technical Note | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35230
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An analysis of an anomaly in the subcooled critical flow model in the RELAP5/MOD3 computer code is presented. Specifically, the code produces a discontinuity in going from unchoked subcooled liquid flow (i.e., subsonic flow) to subcooled choked flow (i.e., sonic flow). The same anomaly has been reported elsewhere. The root cause for this anomaly has been analyzed, and it is found that the user-supplied junction loss coefficient and discharge coefficient play an important role in the occurrence of this anomaly. The analysis is verified by assessment against a test problem simulating single-phase liquid flow through a convergent nozzle with a fixed upstream pressure and a varying downstream pressure. A corrective measure to eliminate the discontinuity is suggested.