The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word EINSTEINIUM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
E
I
N
S
T
E
I
N
I
U
M
More clues leading to the result EINSTEINIUM
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "a radioactive element" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a radioactive element = einsteinium.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EINSTEINIUM mean?
EINSTEINIUM noun- A transuranic chemical element (symbol Es) with atomic number 99: a soft, silvery, paramagnetic metal.