This study proposes a novel physical effect arising in radioactive matter: initiation and control of a nuclear chain reaction through high hydrostatic pressure. We present the design of a compression-assisted reactor consisting of a titanium chamber with a cylindrical channel, which can be filled with Deuterium in which Uranium 92U235 clusters are dissolved. External energy is introduced gradually via a hydraulic piston, which considerably simplifies the reactor mechanics. As hydrostatic pressure increases, the effective interatomic distance decreases due to the overlap of inner electron shells, significantly raising the probability that neutrons released from fissile nuclei will collide with neighboring atoms rather than escape the medium. The safety mechanism is intrinsic to the design: when pressure is reduced, the reactor shuts down autonomously without external intervention. The technical feasibility of the chamber was validated using a weakly compressible inert fluid mixture of kerosene and transformer oil, confirming that the required pressure regime of 200,000 atm is mechanically achievable. The principal anticipated advantage of this effect is the possibility for reduction in the critical mass required to sustain a chain reaction. It corresponds with diminution in the quantity of nuclear fuel needed. Future experiments with radioactive materials could be conducted to develop the proposed phenomenon.
Lozanova et al. (Thu,) studied this question.