How can deuterium and tritium boost a fission explosion?

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U.S. hydrogen bomb test in the Marshall Islands — nuclear weapon A test of a U.S. thermonuclear weapon (hydrogen bomb) at Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands, November 1, 1952.

Boosting is a technique used to enhance the yield of a fission explosion by incorporating deuterium and tritium into the core of the fissile material.1

In this process, the fusion of deuterium and tritium serves as a source of neutrons that induce fission reactions at a significantly higher rate than could be achieved by neutrons from a fission chain reaction alone. By utilizing these fusion-produced neutrons, a higher explosive yield can be obtained from a given quantity of fissile material, or conversely, the same yield can be achieved using a smaller amount of material. This method allows for more efficient weapon designs, helping to conserve on both volume and weight.12