fast-neutron reactor

A form of fast reactor — A nuclear reactor with no moderator, using fast neutrons directly in a controlled fission chain reaction without slowing them down, allowing for a much more compact reactor which uses fissile material much more efficiently and generates larger quantities of high-energy neutrons which can be used for breeding more fissile material or producing other useful radioactive nuclides, but requiring the use of highly-enriched uranium (at least 20% uranium-235) or other fuel containing a similarly high concentration of fissile material.

Meanings

nounfast-neutron reactor (plural fast-neutron reactors)

plural fast-neutron reactors

  1. alternativeAlternative form of fast reactor.
Cite this entry
APA

fast-neutron reactor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fast-neutron%20reactor

MLA

“fast-neutron reactor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fast-neutron%20reactor. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fast-neutron reactor,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fast-neutron%20reactor.

Source: fast-neutron reactor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.