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Which hydrogen isotopes are used for boosting fission weapons?
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atomic bomb
The first atomic bomb test, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, July 16, 1945.
To boost a fission weapon, the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium are incorporated into the core of the fissile material.1
By introducing these isotopes, the device utilizes fusion reactions as a source of neutrons to induce fissions at a significantly higher rate than would be possible using neutrons from fission chain reactions alone. This process allows for a higher explosive yield from a given quantity of fissile material or, conversely, enables the achievement of the same yield using a smaller amount of material.1