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Nuclear Fusion |
| Nuclear fusion is the joining (or fusing) of the nuclei
of two atoms to form a single heavier atom. At extremely high temperatures
- in the range of tens of millions of degrees - the nuclei of isotopes of
hydrogen (and some other light elements) can readily combine to form
heavier elements and in the process release considerable energy. For fusion to occur, the electrostatic repulsion between the atoms must
be overcome. Creating these conditions is one of the major problems in
triggering a fusion reaction. Movie and text courtesy of the Atomic Archive.
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