16 lines
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1.1 KiB
Markdown
16 lines
No EOL
1.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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tags:
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- Concept
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- Nuclear
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- Technology
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category: "Nuclear Concept"
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summary: "Heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O) is a form of water that contains a higher than normal concentration of the isotope deuterium, rather than the common hydrogen-1 isotope."
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location: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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---
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Heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O) is a form of water that contains a higher than normal concentration of the isotope deuterium, rather than the common hydrogen-1 isotope. It is used in certain types of nuclear reactors, known as heavy-water reactors, as a neutron moderator to slow down neutrons and increase the probability of nuclear fission.[^1]
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By 1953, Israeli researchers at the [[Weizmann Institute of Science]] had pioneered a new process for creating heavy water. This development was crucial for [[Israel]]'s nuclear ambitions, as [[David Ben-Gurion]] had repeatedly stated that [[Israel]] would build its own atomic reactor utilizing locally manufactured heavy water.[^1]
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### Footnotes
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[^1]: Hersh, Seymour M. *The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy*. Random House, 1991. Chapter 2. |