[Southack]

"Can be either. Definitely can be an initiator (which is what you mean by trigger) when generating a D-T fusion to whip up a burst of neutrons."

Tritium has a half-life of 12.3 years and emits a very weak beta particle. That's not suitable for an atomic initiator at all.

D-T Fusion is the stuff of criticality and chain reactions...not super-criticality...certainly not with 1st generation weapons...certainly not with artillery shells or suitcase nukes (the topic under discussion).

Small nukes need lots of neutrons emitted from the initiator.

[doorgunner69]

Not useable as an initiator? Your reading is a bit out of date. Do you understand how tube type neutron initiators work? Or the weak D-T fusion compression type initiator? My comment was to tritium being used in initiators in general, not specifically to gun type devices. Don't try to narrow the focus to cover an incorrect statement, where you jumped all over the newbie for stating tritium was used in initiators.

If you address just 1st gen. weapons, then we indeed are talking Po/Be only, for gun or implosion. Backpack nukes are not gun types, as you know.