text: In nuclear engineering, fissile material is material that can undergo nuclear fission when struck by a neutron of low energy.  A self-sustaining thermal chain reaction can only be achieved with fissile material.  The predominant neutron energy in a system may be typified by either slow neutrons (i.e., a thermal system) or fast neutrons. Fissile material can be used to fuel thermal-neutron reactors, fast-neutron reactors and nuclear explosives.