Tritium

Tritium is a radioactive hydrogen isotope central to conventional D–T fusion. Kronos minimizes it, using it only for commissioning and as a ³He precursor.

Symbol

T or ³H

Nucleus

1 proton + 2 neutrons

Half-life

~12.3 years (decays to ³He)

Kronos role

Stage-0 commissioning + ³He precursor, minimized

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen with one proton and two neutrons. It powers conventional deuterium–tritium fusion because it ignites most easily — but it is radioactive, scarce, and must be bred on site, and D–T fusion is intensely neutron-producing.

Kronos deliberately keeps tritium to a minimum. It appears as a Stage-0 commissioning fuel and as a natural precursor to helium-3 (tritium decays to ³He with a ~12.3-year half-life), feeding the staged fuel cycle. Because the commercial baseline is low-neutron D–³He rather than D–T, the plant avoids both the heavy neutron load and the large tritium inventory that define D–T concepts. Tritium handling remains an engineering-controlled hazard the design accounts for.