Re: Tritium in old nuclear weapons

[GRAHNK@aol.com]

In early fusion weapons, tritium did provide fuel for the fusion reaction but 
the large reservoir was extremely cumbersome.  In more modern weapons (not 
that any have been built lately) a relatively small amount of tritium is used 
to boost the primary or fission weapon which ignites the secondary fusion 
stage which is still essentially fueled by tritium but stored in the weapon 
as lithium deuteride.  




Kelly Grahn
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety

GrahnK@aol.com

or

Grahn@idns.state.il.us 
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