  Actinide elements produce a plethora of interesting physical behaviors due to
the 5f states. This review compiles and analyzes progress in understanding of
the electronic and magnetic structure of the 5f states in actinide metals.
Particular interest is given to electron energy-loss spectroscopy and
many-electron atomic spectral calculations, since there is now an appreciable
library of core d -> valence f transitions for Th, U, Np, Pu, Am, and Cm. These
results are interwoven and discussed against published experimental data, such
as x-ray photoemission and absorption spectroscopy, transport measurements, and
electron, x-ray, and neutron diffraction, as well as theoretical results, such
as density-functional theory and dynamical mean-field theory.
