Neptunium is a chemical element; it has symbol Np and atomic number 93. A radioactive actinide metal, neptunium is the first transuranic element. It is named after Neptune, the planet beyond Uranus in
Sample of neptunium-237 in a glass vial
This nickel-clad neptunium sphere was used to experimentally determine the critical mass of Np at Los Alamos National Lab.
The 60-inch cyclotron at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, in August 1939
Neptunium ions in solution
Plutonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a silvery-gray actinide metal that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element norm
A sample of plutonium metal, shaped like a ring to prevent nuclear criticality
Various oxidation states of plutonium in solution
Plutonium pyrophoricity can cause it to look like a glowing ember under certain conditions.
Twenty micrograms of pure plutonium hydroxide