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Sure, there are elements with higher atomic numbers. Just look up the periodic table. But it's a question of availability, practicality, and what the ultimate objective is.For example, if you just want to make it safe and not put it back into operation, one option might be just to cover everything with a lot of sand and concrete. It's not as effective as lead by weight, but it's still effective, and it's a lot more available.
I'm sure we can imagine all kinds of things, but as we have no idea what the conditions are really like there, it's highly speculative to propose solutions. What we do know is some good science about how to shield gamma radiation, but I'm sure the folks who are working there are already fully armed with that knowledge.
Can I do something dull and remind you what I actually said?"For a given thickness, gold is a rather better gamma ray shield than lead"Pound for pound, (for a given area) lead is a bit better, but since gold is nearly twice as dense, for a given thickness, gold is actually better. Stop trying to pretend that I got that wrong.So, in answer to your question "How is gold morer dense than lead when lead has a higher atomic number." the simple answer is because 19.3 is bigger than 11.3 .Why this is true is a complex matter and of no importance here, it's simply a fact that you should have accepted or checked.
Perhaps I can put in a different context for you.For a given thickness, gold is a rather better gamma ray shield than lead- and it's non toxic.Would you advocate coating the workers with gold leaf?
If it is "too hot to handle".You use either robotics. If they had only supplied Robonaut with legs, they could have sent him to the rescue!!!Or... if one absolutely must have human intervention, setup a relay team with people entering the "hot zone" for a few minutes... then leaving and having another worker follow performing more of the task.As far as preventing the catastrophe.Good Diesel Pumps would have been easier to protect from water damage than the diesel generators. However, the generators and electrical distribution system should have been placed in a protected area, and sealed against water inundation. Tsunamis and Earthquakes are not uncommon in Japan. They typically get a couple of earthquakes a year. And, while Category 9 earthquakes are rare in Japan, they regularly have had 8+ earthquakes (14 since 1898, including THREE magnitude 8.7 earthquakes).It is unclear if they could have predicted the quake when they started getting multiple very strong foreshocks on March 9, two days before the main quake. A policy to shut down all neighboring nuclear plants after category 6 or 7 earthquakes for a week or so, would force numerous blackouts and brownouts for false alarms, but might have limited the extent of the damage to the nuclear plant.In the next decade, Japan needs to plan on upgrading every nuclear plant they have with better backup systems and failsafe wiring.