Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    TopBuzzMagazine.com
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Home
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Music
    • Fashion
    • Books
    • Science
    • Technology
    • Cover Story
    • Contact
      • About
      • Amazon Disclaimer
      • Terms and Conditions
      • Privacy Policy
      • DMCA / Copyrights Disclaimer
    TopBuzzMagazine.com
    Home»Science»Team tests the effects of oxygen on uranium
    Science

    Team tests the effects of oxygen on uranium

    By AdminJuly 23, 2022
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Shown on a large computer screen is a Raman spectrum of uranium oxide particulates formed inside the team’s benchtop reaction chamber. The uranium oxide spectrum shown is for U3O8. Credit: Julie Russell/LLNL

    A team of researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the University of Michigan has found that the rate of cooling in reactions dramatically affects the type of uranium molecules that form.

    The team’s experimental work, conducted over about a year and a half starting in October 2020, attempts to help understand what uranium compounds might form in the environment after a nuclear event. It has recently been detailed in Scientific Reports.

    “One of our most important findings was learning that the rate of cooling affects the behavior of uranium,” said Mark Burton, the paper’s lead author and a chemist in the Lab’s Materials Science Division. “The big picture here is that we want to understand uranium chemistry in energetic environments.”

    In their experiments, the LLNL and Michigan researchers found that the rate of cooling—as well as the amount of oxygen—dramatically affects how uranium combines with oxygen.

    The recent experiments showed that as uranium cools from a plasma at about 10,000 degrees Celsius in microseconds (millionths of a second), the chemistry is drastically different when compared to cooling over milliseconds (thousandths of a second).

    Earlier LLNL experiments in 2020, led by mechanical engineer Batikan Koroglu, provided the first experimental evidence for the phenomena that the amount of oxygen that combines with uranium can affect which uranium molecules form. Those findings were substantiated in the recent LLNL-Michigan experiments.

    The most recent work, performed under a Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) strategic initiative, seeks to understand the effect of the local environment on the physics and chemistry of nuclear explosions, particularly to aid computational modeling efforts.

    “The electron structures of actinides, such as uranium and plutonium, are extremely complex and difficult to computationally model,” said Kim Knight, a co-author of the study and the leader of the LDRD strategic initiative.

    “Experiments like this one can provide data and insight on the generalized behavior of these actinides, something that aids our computational modeling.”

    Uranium and oxygen can combine to form hundreds of different molecules, depending on the oxygen concentration and the cooling rates; each of these species can have different and distinct chemical behaviors.

    “When uranium comes into contact with oxygen, it will form different molecules. The rate of cooling also affects the type of molecules that form. We care about what specific molecules are formed as a result,” Burton explained.

    This 6-inch-by-6-inch benchtop reaction chamber has been developed by LLNL scientists Mark Burton, Jonathan Crowhurst and David Weisz to study the chemistry of laser-ablated metals. Particulates are formed as the laser ablation plasma cools, allowing the team to collect the particulates onto an infrared transparent substrate. In-situ diagnostics are then used to study what uranium oxide particulates have been formed. Credit: Julie Russell/LLNL

    For their experiments, the team used a 6-inch-by-6-inch benchtop reaction chamber that was developed by three of the group’s researchers: Burton, Jonathan Crowhurst and David Weisz.

    They fired a 50-millijoule laser pulse to ablate part of a square-centimeter uranium metal target, using in-situ infrared spectroscopy for diagnostics.

    “The development of such a small-footprint, well-controlled and reproducible experiment allows our scientists to work with extra small amounts of the uranium. This unique, innovative benchtop approach provides very high-quality data for the science we are trying to do,” said Crowhurst, who is a physicist.

    Different properties of uranium have affected researchers’ interpretations of historic events and could influence their ability to understand future events.

    “These experiments improve our understanding of gas-phase chemical reactions between uranium and oxygen as hot plasmas cool, which can inform models of nuclear explosions to refine our predicative capabilities of particle formation and transport,” Knight said.

    “The fate of uranium in the environment is important for predicting the impact of events like nuclear weapons or nuclear accidents in different environments. One of the applications is to aid in the interpretation of events for nuclear forensics,” she added.

    Experiment improves predictions of uranium dispersion More information: Mark A. Burton et al, The effect of oxygen concentration on the speciation of laser ablated uranium, Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07834-9 Provided by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

    Citation: Team tests the effects of oxygen on uranium (2022, July 21) retrieved 23 July 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-07-team-effects-oxygen-uranium.html

    This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

    Read The Full Article Here

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Related Posts

    Failed Soviet probe will soon crash to Earth – and we don’t know where

    May 9, 2025

    After 170 years, Thoreau’s river observations inform our changing climate

    May 8, 2025

    World’s first silicon-based quantum computer is small enough to plug into a regular power socket

    May 7, 2025

    Nothing is stronger than quantum connections – and now we know why

    May 7, 2025

    Astronomers observe the cooling process of a young stellar object following an accretion burst

    May 6, 2025

    ‘Titanic: The Digital Resurrection’ documentary sheds light on night ship sank

    May 6, 2025
    popular posts

    Artemis I livestream: Watch NASA’s historic SLS rocket launch

    6 Brand New Sports Romance Novels

    Irene Cara, ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance

    Colorful Assortment of Blooming Flowers in Fun and Mystical Mazes

    Karol G & Abel Pintos Sing National Anthems at 2024

    Nine Procedurals That Focused as Much on Characters as Cracking Cases

    24 Favorites From 2023 That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

    Categories
    • Books (3,212)
    • Cover Story (2)
    • Events (18)
    • Fashion (2,381)
    • Interviews (41)
    • Movies (2,511)
    • Music (2,789)
    • News (153)
    • Science (4,362)
    • Technology (2,505)
    • Television (3,234)
    • Uncategorized (932)
    Archives
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube Reddit TikTok
    © 2025 Top Buzz Magazine. All rights reserved. All articles, images, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT