Nuclear proliferation Alliance of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Power", tritium is not classified as a "special nuclear material" but rather as a by-product. It is seen as an important litmus test on the seriousness of the United States' intention to nuclear disarm. This radioactive super-heavy hydrogen isotope is used to boost the efficiency of fissile materials in nuclear weapons. The United States resumed tritium production in 2003 for the first time in 15 years. This could indicate that there is a potential nuclear arm stockpile replacement since the isotope naturally decays. In May 1995, NPT parties reaffirmed their commitment to a Fissile
Atomic vapor laser isotope separation Atomic vapor laser isotope separation Atomic vapor laser isotope separation, or AVLIS, is a method by which specially tuned lasers are used to separate isotopes of uranium using selective ionization of hyperfine transitions. As compared to gas centrifuges the AVLIS process provides high energy efficiency, high separation factors, and a low volume of radioactive waste. A similar technology, using molecules instead of atoms, is molecular laser isotope separation (MLIS). The absorption lines of and U differ slightly due to hyperfine structure; for example, the U absorption peak of 502.74 nanometers shifts to 502.73 nm in U. AVLIS uses tunable dye