Materials & Magnets
Neutron-Multiplier Materials
Beryllium and lead used to boost the blanket's neutron count.
- Materials
- Beryllium, lead
- Role
- Raise breeding
Beryllium and lead multiply neutrons through (n,2n) reactions, raising the blanket's neutron budget so it can breed enough tritium with margin. The choice trades neutron economy against activation and resource considerations.
Multiplier selection is part of closing the breeding balance in a compact machine.
Common questions
What is a neutron multiplier for?
Materials like beryllium or lead multiply neutrons in the blanket so that more than one tritium atom can be bred per fusion neutron, helping reach a breeding ratio above one (HYPERION targets 1.8).
Why is multiplication needed at all?
Because some neutrons are lost to structure and leakage, so bare lithium cannot quite breed enough tritium to sustain the fuel cycle without a multiplier.