Nuclear physics
Tritium
A radioactive heavy isotope of hydrogen with two neutrons, used as fusion fuel and in boosted-fission weapons.
Tritium has a half-life of 12.3 years, so warhead arsenals require ongoing tritium production to replace decay. Modern boosted-fission weapons inject tritium-deuterium gas into the fission core to enhance yield. Tritium is produced by irradiating lithium-6 in nuclear reactors.
Related terms
Deuterium
A heavy isotope of hydrogen with one neutron, used as fusion fuel in thermonuclear weapons.
Nuclear Fusion
The combination of light atomic nuclei (typically deuterium and tritium) into heavier nuclei, releasing energy.
Boosted Fission
A fission weapon design in which a small amount of deuterium-tritium gas is injected into the fissile core to enhance yield.
Half-Life
The time required for half of a quantity of a radioactive isotope to decay.