neptunium
[ nep-too-nee-uh m, -tyoo- ]
/ nɛpˈtu ni əm, -ˈtyu- /
noun Chemistry, Physics.
a transuranic element produced in nuclear reactors by the neutron bombardment of U-238: decays rapidly to plutonium and then to U-235. Symbol: Np; atomic number: 93.
Words nearby neptunium
British Dictionary definitions for neptunium
neptunium
/ (nɛpˈtjuːnɪəm) /
noun
a silvery metallic transuranic element synthesized in the production of plutonium and occurring in trace amounts in uranium ores. Symbol: Np; atomic no: 93; half-life of most stable isotope, 237 Np: 2.14 × 10 6 years; valency: 3, 4, 5, or 6; relative density: 20.25; melting pt: 639±1°C; boiling pt: 3902°C (est)
Word Origin for neptunium
C20: from
Neptune ², the planet beyond Uranus, because neptunium is the element beyond uranium in the periodic table
Medical definitions for neptunium
neptunium
[ nĕp-tōō′nē-əm ]
n. Symbol Np
A metallic radioactive element found in trace quantities in uranium ores or synthesized; its longest-lived isotope is Np 237 with a half-life of 2.1 million years. Atomic number 93.
Scientific definitions for neptunium
neptunium
[ nĕp-tōō′nē-əm ]
Np
A silvery, radioactive metallic element of the actinide series. It occurs naturally in minute amounts in uranium ores and is produced artificially as a byproduct of plutonium production. Its longest-lived isotope is Np 237 with a half-life of 2.1 million years. Atomic number 93. See Periodic Table.