Physicists have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (a process used to determine the molecular structure of various materials) to discover the “signature” of a previously ignored fissile isotope, plutonium-239.
Determining the isotope’s “signature” will shed light on how this type of plutonium might react with other elements.
The breakthrough could lead to improved methods for storing waste from nuclear power plants.
Read more at Los Alamos National Laboratory