Plutonium

Symbol

Pu

Atomic number

94

Atomic mass	244		Thermal conductivity	0.06774
Atomic radius	...		Covalent radius	...
Density	19.8		Atomic volume	12.32
Melting point	914		Oxidation states	6,5,4,3
Boiling point	3503		Stable isotopes	0
Heat of vapor.	344		Electronegativity	1.28
Heat of fusion	2.84		First ionization	6.06
Specific heat	0.13		Electrical conduct.	...

Electron configuration

Plutonium

Plutonium is a man-made trans-uranic element. Plutonium-238 was the first isotope to be made. The process involved bombarding uranium-238 with deuterium. Neptunium-239 is made as an intermediate product, which then decays to form plutonium-238.

Plutonium was first discovered by Glenn Seaborg and collaborators at the University of California, Berkeley.

Plutonium-238 is used as the main heat source for Radioisotope Thermal Generators which supply electric power for spacecraft. It's relatively short half-life makes it a potent heat source. At right shows the glowing of a pellet of PuO2 from its own self-heating ( from Wikipedia).

Plutonium Nuclear Data

Plutonium-239 is the isotope which can undergo nuclear fission. It is produced in breeder reactors, with neutron absorption by uranium-238 leading to a breeding reaction which produces the Plutonium-239 isotope. Plutonium-239 was used in the manufacture of the nuclear fission bomb dropped on Nagasaki during World War II.