Nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated, controlled, and sustained at a steady rate (as opposed to a nuclear explosion, where the chain reaction occurs in a split second). Nuclear reactors are used for many purposes, but the most significant current uses are for the generation of electrical power and, in rare cases, for the production of plutonium for use in nuclear weapons. Currently all commercial nuclear reactors are based on nuclear fission, and are considered problematic for their safety and health risks. Experiments in fusion power seek to replace nuclear fission reactors with nuclear fusion reactors.

Related Topics:
Nuclear chain reaction - Nuclear explosion - Electrical power - Plutonium - Nuclear weapon - Nuclear fission - Fusion power - Nuclear fusion

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There are other devices in which nuclear reactions occur in a controlled fashion, including radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which generate heat and power by passive radioactive decay, and Farnsworth-Hirsch fusors, in which controlled nuclear fusion is used to produce neutron radiation.

Related Topics:
Radioisotope thermoelectric generator - Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor - Neutron radiation

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