Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
secondary fusion device
References
Images
Diagram of a thermonuclear warhead cut open to reveal internal components, including a primary fission trigger with deuterium-tritium gas, plutonium-239, beryllium, and chemical explosives, and a secondary fusion device with uranium-235, lithium deuteride fusion fuel, and a uranium case, all labeled for educational reference. Diagram showing the Teller-Ulam two-stage thermonuclear bomb design, with four labeled stages: a chemical explosion in the primary fission core, X-ray transfer and compression, ignition of a secondary fusion stage, and fusion fuel detonation. Key components such as the fission fuel, uranium tamper, and polystyrene foam are illustrated and labeled.
Britannica AI Icon

secondary fusion device

Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Diagram of a thermonuclear warhead cut open to reveal internal components, including a primary fission trigger with deuterium-tritium gas, plutonium-239, beryllium, and chemical explosives, and a secondary fusion device with uranium-235, lithium deuteride fusion fuel, and a uranium case, all labeled for educational reference.
Thermonuclear warhead The blast from a primary fission component triggers a secondary fusion explosion in a thermonuclear bomb or warhead.

A secondary fusion device, also known as the secondary in a two-stage thermonuclear warhead, is a crucial component in nuclear weapons. It is physically separate from the primary fission trigger but contained within the same outer casing.12

The primary's fission explosion generates intense radiation, which is channeled to compress and ignite the secondary. This compression is achieved by heating the inner surface of the casing, creating a hot plasma that exerts immense pressure on the secondary's outer shell. Inside the secondary, fusion materials like lithium-6 deuteride surround a fissionable "spark plug". When compressed, the spark plug undergoes fission, generating extreme temperatures and neutrons that initiate fusion in the surrounding materials. This fusion process releases significantly more energy than the initial fission.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. fusion reactor - Principles of inertial confinement
  2. thermonuclear warhead
  3. nuclear weapon - Basic two-stage design

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.