krytron

/ ˈkraɪtrɒn /

noun

1. electronics a type of fast electronic gas-discharge switch, used as a trigger in nuclear weapons

Example Sentences

Great masses of warheads could quickly be rendered harmless by removing their tritium bottles and krytron triggers.

From Time Magazine Archive

But take a highly miniaturized capacitor capable of storing 5,000 volts, feed it into a peanut- size switch called a krytron, and the result is a device that can be used for the deadliest purpose of all: triggering a nuclear explosion.

From Time Magazine Archive