Plutonium atoms fall apart through a process called alpha decay. They release particles ... which means that it can start a nuclear chain reaction. The United Nations lists it as one of only ...

The synthesis of plutonium-227 offers a way to explore this question and better understand the stability of elements beyond uranium. The team first analyzed nine decay chains of plutonium-227 to ...

The continuous decay of plutonium guarantees a steady ... which can’t sustain a chain reaction and the plutonium-239 used in nuclear warheads. RTGs’ stable, long-duration power is often ...