Deuterium atoms are a type of hydrogen atom, but with an extra particle called a neutron. They are used in scientific research because they can help us understand how molecules work and how materials interact. Full definition
The team succeeded by using deuteration, or the substitution of deuterium atoms for hydrogen atoms, to study how hydroxyl is produced. (sciencedaily.com)
The catastrophic collapse of these bubbles heats the deuterated acetone to the point at which deuterium atoms collide and fuse, the authors argue. (sciencemag.org)
Perhaps, the scientists thought, the bubbles would get so big that their collapse would produce temperatures near 10 million degreeshot enough to cause a few deuterium atoms in the acetone to fuse into helium or tritium (hydrogen with two extra neutrons). (scientificamerican.com)