Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T18:05:53.365Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Ab-initio Based Diffusive Studies of Plutonium with Relevance to Nuclear Waste Management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

A. K. Setty*
Affiliation:
West Virginia University, Physics Department, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-6315, [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

An approach to study the diffusion of plutonium (Pu) waste into the material of the storage containers is presented. The delta phase of Pu has been examined, in this article, using a spin and orbitally polarized ab-initio (full potential LMTO) approach [1, 2]. These computations are relatively inexpensive, and it is the intention to see if the results obtained would be satisfactory (compared to the accurate SIC-LDA computations [1-2]) for diffusive studies of Pu into the material of storage containers (for example, into FCC iron as a surrogate for steel [2]). The combination of LDA and spin and orbitally polarized LMTO calculations that we use successfully predict a delocalized 5f, (i.e. bonding) monoclinic ground state and a localized FCC excited state with a density about 8% greater than experiment (compared to the 30% error from pure LDA calculations by various groups [3-6]). The density of states is computed and compared to experimental photoemission studies; there is qualitative agreement. The spin, orbital and total magnetic moment for the FCC phase is computed; the results are qualitatively in agreement with those of other studies. An analytical method for studying the time-dependent diffusion of Pu across an interface with another atomic species is presented.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Price, D. L., Phys. Rev. B 60, 10588 (1999).Google Scholar
2. Setty, A. K., Cooper, B. R. and Price, D. L., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 757, II3.32.1, (2003).Google Scholar
3. Donahue, J., The Structures of the Elements (Robert E. Krieger, 1982) pp 158169.Google Scholar
4. Zachariasen, W. H. and Ellinger, F. H., Acta Cryst. 16, 777 (1963).Google Scholar
5. Ellinger, F. H., Trans. AIME 206, 1256 (1956).Google Scholar
6. Soderlind, P., Eriksson, O., Johansson, B., and Wills, J. M., Phys. Rev. B 50, 7291 (1994).Google Scholar
7. Eriksson, O., Cox, L. E., Cooper, B. R., Wills, J. M., Fernando, G. W., Hao, Y. G. and Boring, A. M., Phys. Rev. B 46, 13576 (1992).Google Scholar
8. Penicaud, M., J. Phys. Condens. Matter 9, 6341 (1997).Google Scholar
9. Ek, J. van, Sterne, P. A. and Gonis, A., Phys. Rev. B 48, 16280 (1993).Google Scholar
10. Hecker, S. S., MRS Bulletin 26, 672 (2001).Google Scholar
11. Soderlind, P., Eriksson, O., Johansson, B., Wills, J. M. and Boring, A. M., Nature 374, 524 (1995).Google Scholar
12. Brooks, M. S. S., Skriver, H. L., Johansson, B., Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of the Actinides, eds Freeman, A.J., Lander, G.H. (Elsevier, 1984) pp 153269.Google Scholar
13. Eriksson, O., Soderlind, P., Wills, J. M. and Boring, A. M., Physica B 190, 5 (1993).Google Scholar
14. Eriksson, O., Becker, J. D., Balatsky, A. V., Wills, J. M., J. of Alloys and Compounds. 287, 1(1999).Google Scholar
15. Cooper, B. R. et al, “Correlation Effects on Stability in Pu Metal and its Alloys”, Electron Correlations and Material Properties, eds Gonis, A. and Kioussis, N. (Plenum Publishing, 1999) pp. 531537.Google Scholar
16. Price, D. L., Cooper, B. R., Lim, S. -P. and Avgin, I., Phys. Rev. B 61, 9867 (2000).Google Scholar
17. Savrasov, S. Y. and Kotliar, G., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 3670 (2000).Google Scholar
18. Bouchet, J., Siberchicot, B., Jolliet, F. and Pasturel, A., J. Phys. Condens. Matter 12, 1723 (2000).Google Scholar
19. Savrasov, S. Y., Kotliar, G. and Abrahams, E., Nature 410, 793 (2001).Google Scholar
20. Arko, A. J., Joyce, J. J., Morales, L., J. Alloys & Compounds 286, 14 (1999).Google Scholar
21. Setty, A. K., Phys. Rev. E (in review).Google Scholar