No, it's true. A meltdown requires an out of control fission reaction.
A nuclear *fusion* incident would be more accurately termed a 'gigantic-ass explosion' or 'tiny sun'. A Meltdown will continue until the fissionable material is no longer at a critical mass. A fusion reaction will only continue so long as fusionable material is continually pumped into it.
In cases like Chernobyl, the explosion wasn't caused by the fissionable materials, but by the water tanks exploding. A Fission reactor is basically just a really high tech steam engine. The uranium, plutonium, whatever they use (I forget), basically just sits there heating water and turning it into steam to run turbines. A conventional fusion reaction on the other hand, requires tremendous amounts of pressure and heat (The two easiest ways to make atoms fuse). Thus, when that heat and pressure subsides..such as after the containment system ruptures...the reaction dissipates. This is where the gigantic-ass explosion comes in.
KendraKirai said: No, it's true. A meltdown requires an out of control fission reaction.
A nuclear *fusion* incident would be more accurately termed a 'gigantic-ass explosion' or 'tiny sun'. A Meltdown will continue until the fissionable material is no longer at a critical mass. A fusion reaction will only continue so long as fusionable material is continually pumped into it.
In cases like Chernobyl, the explosion wasn't caused by the fissionable materials, but by the water tanks exploding. A Fission reactor is basically just a really high tech steam engine. The uranium, plutonium, whatever they use (I forget), basically just sits there heating water and turning it into steam to run turbines. A conventional fusion reaction on the other hand, requires tremendous amounts of pressure and heat (The two easiest ways to make atoms fuse). Thus, when that heat and pressure subsides..such as after the containment system ruptures...the reaction dissipates. This is where the gigantic-ass explosion comes in.
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