Fusion

There are two different ways to utilize Nuclear energy; they are called fusion and fission. In a nuclear fusion reaction, two light atomic nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus and in doing so, release a large amount of energy. It is accompanied by the release or absorption of energy. Large scale fusion processes, involving many atoms fusing at once, fusion only occurs in places where there are high densities. Such as the sun. The fusion of two nuclei with a mass lower than iron release energy; Ware as nuclei with a mass larger than iron absorbs energy. In the case of hydrogen fusion, two protons have to be brought close enough together to fuse. Nuclear fusion occurs naturally in stars. Artificial fusion has also been achieved, although it has not yet been completely controlled as an energy source; successful nuclear physics experiments have been performed involving the fusion of many different nuclear species. If man made fusion were to happen tomorrow the type of reaction that would occur would most likely be two isotopes of Hydrogen coming together to form a Helium atom

21 D + 31T → 42He +10n + energy The first generation fusion reactors will use deuterium and tritium for fuel because they will fuse at a lower temperature. Deuterium can be easily extracted from seawater, where 1 in 6500 hydrogen atoms is deuterium. Tritium can be bred from lithium, which is abundant in the earth's crust. In the fusion reaction a deuterium and tritium atom combine together, or fuse, to form an atom of helium and an energetic neutron. It only takes a small amount of these isotopes to produce an abundant amount of energy. The deuterium tritium fusion reaction results in an energy gain of about 450:1 No other energy source can releases that much energy for the amount that is put in.

A problem in attaining nuclear fusion is heating the gas to the high temperatures required and, to confine a sufficient quantity of the reacting nuclei for a long enough time to permit the release of more energy than the amount put in to heat and confine the gas. A subsequent major problem is the capture of this energy and its conversion to electricity.

At temperatures of even 100,000° C or 180,000° F, all the hydrogen atoms are fully ionized. The gas consists of an electrically neutral assemblage of positively charged nuclei and negatively charged free electrons. Fusion reactions are so hot that it would surly melt anything that it came in contact with; this is a problem in how to contain the reaction. The best solution so far is to hold the reaction in mid air with the use of super powerful magnets .  

Many attempts of the magnetic confinement of plasma have been tried since 1950 in the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, and elsewhere. Thermonuclear reactions have been observed. The main problem with fusion now is more energy is put into the reaction than given off. This is only a temporary setback, scientist say that they will over come this dilemma within a few decades.