= Solution
Lithium in the blanket breeds tritium through <neutron> reactions, notably $^6\mathrm{Li}+n\to{}^4\mathrm{He}+T$. Tritium is not abundant enough in nature to supply a large reactor fleet without breeding. The blanket must also transfer <heat> and manage <neutron> damage and losses, and the breeding ratio must exceed consumption after accounting for processing and inventory. Lithium is therefore a fuel-cycle resource rather than the primary charged <plasma (physics)>[plasma] reactant in the D-T core.
Back to article page
