controlled thermonuclear reactor
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controlled thermonuclear reactor
[kən¦trōld ¦thər·mō′nü·klē·ər rē′ak·tər] (nucleonics)
The heart of a fusion spacecraft propulsion system, based on the thermonuclear reaction of deuterium with a helium-3 isotope to produce helium-4 and protons. Abbreviated CTR.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.