Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive actinide metal (atomic number 90) that serves primarily as a fertile material in nuclear science and technology topics. In a reactor environment, thorium-232 can absorb a neutron to become thorium-233, which beta decays through protactinium-233 to fissile uranium-233, enabling thorium-based fuel cycles. Research topics involving thorium include molten salt reactor designs, thorium-uranium fuel behavior, neutron economy, proliferation resistance characteristics, and long-lived waste reduction potential. Scientific investigations also address thorium’s nuclear data (cross sections, decay schemes), materials compatibility, fuel fabrication, and performance under high-temperature, high-radiation conditions.
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