Chernobyl’s intensely radioactive ‘elephant’s foot’ lava recreated in the lab
Mimic of the lava produced by a reactor meltdown is far safer to work with
A new class of material has been created that mimics the radioactive, lava-like waste created during nuclear meltdowns like those of Chernobyl and Fukushima, while only being mildly radioactive themselves. The simulant materials offer a much safer way of studying radioactive molten waste such as the infamous ‘elephant’s foot’ at Chernobyl.