  Oxygen adsorption on delta-Pu (100) and (111) surfaces have been studied at
both non-spin-polarized and spin-polarized levels using the generalized
gradient approximation of density functional theory (GGA-DFT)with Perdew and
Wang functionals. The center position of the (100) surface is found to be the
most favorable site with chemisorption energies of 7.386 eV and 7.080 eV at the
two levels of theory. The distances of the oxygen adatom from the Pu surface
are found to be 0.92A and 1.02A, respectively. For the (111) surface
non-spin-polarized calculations, the center position is also the preferred site
with a chemisorption energy of 7.070 eV and the distance of the adatom being
1.31A, but for spin-polarized calculations the bridge and the center sites are
found to be basically degenerate, the difference in chemisorption energies
being only 0.021 eV. In general, due to the adsorption of oxygen, plutonium 5f
orbitals are pushed further below the Fermi energy, compared to the bare
plutonium layers. The work function, in general, increases due to oxygen
adsorption on plutonium surfaces.
