As this symposium is a tribute to Lester Morss' career in actinide science, it is appropriate to note that Lester was involved in multiple career roles: (1) as a professor (Rutgers University); (2) as a scientist at Argonne National Laboratory; and (3) finally as a DOE manager for actinide research before his retirement. Given his training under Professor Cunningham at Berkeley University, he was interested in the nature of 5f-electrons across the series.  Since Seaborg's famous realization that the early actinides were not a mirror image the lanthanides, scientists have focused on these 5f-electrons and concepts have evolved on the role these 5f electrons do play across the actinide series.  Discussed here will be quick snapshots for some of these changing concepts and recent information that may require some additional evaluations about the 5f- electron roles.

On the changing role of the 5f-electrons: Do we really understand it?

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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