Supercritical refers to a state of nuclear reactor operation where the reactor's multiplication factor exceeds one, leading to a sustained increase in neutron population and thus, a continuous rise in power output. In this state, the reactor is capable of producing more neutrons than are lost, which can lead to rapid increases in power if not carefully controlled. Supercritical conditions are essential for achieving efficient and sustained nuclear fission reactions in reactors.
congrats on reading the definition of supercritical. now let's actually learn it.