Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear Fusion is a process in which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or “fuse”, to form a single, heavier nucleus. It is the same process that powers the Sun and other stars. The process releases tremendous amounts of energy, millions of times more energy than can be released from chemical reactions like combustion. This is because the nuclei of the atoms in a fusion reaction have a much higher binding energy per nucleon than those of the nuclei in a fission reaction. Nuclear Fusion reactions occur at extremely high temperatures, often in excess of 150 million degrees Celsius, which is 10 times hotter than the center of the Sun. An example of the use of Nuclear Fusion in energy production is the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is a research project currently under construction in France. Fun Fact: Nuclear Fusion is the process that powers the Sun and other stars!