1.
nuclear reactor
A device that initiates and controls a sustained nuclear chain reaction, used for power generation, research, or other purposes.
原子炉を停止する。
To shut down the nuclear reactor.
古い原子炉の廃炉が決定した。
It was decided to decommission the old nuclear reactor.
この発電所には三基の原子炉があり、地域の電力需要の大部分を賄っている。
This power plant has three nuclear reactors, which supply most of the region's electricity demand.
A compound of 原子 (atom) and 炉 (furnace). A key term in discussions about energy policy, especially in Japan after the Fukushima disaster.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 原子炉を稼働する: to operate a nuclear reactor
- 原子炉を停止する: to shut down a reactor
- 原子炉の冷却: reactor cooling
- 廃炉: reactor decommissioning
- 原子炉建屋: reactor building
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Since the 2011 福島第一原子力発電所 disaster, nuclear energy has been one of the most contentious topics in Japanese politics and society. The term 原子炉 appears frequently in news about reactor restarts, safety inspections, and decommissioning efforts.