Why is Polonium simple cubic?

Scientists have long pondered why the simple cubic structure is so rarely seen in nature. Only one element forms the simple cubic structure: polonium. There are `proofs' dating back to 1954 that the simple cubic lattice should be unstable. We will attempt to address the question of why polonium takes the simple cubic structure by means of ab initio calculations using the pseudopotential density functional method. We will discuss the electronic structure of polonium in relation to its crystal structure.