Nuclear Fusion Press Release
16.7
Date
Introduction
Nuclear Fusion
In nuclear physics, nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei come very close and then collide at a very high speed and join to form a new nucleus. During this process, matter is not conserved because some of the matter of the fusing nuclei is converted to photons (energy). This process is found in many stars, including our own Sun (where the Earth gets it's energy). The origin of the energy released in fusion of light elements is due to interplay of two opposing forces, the nuclear force which combines together protons and neutrons, and the Coulomb force which causes protons to repel each other. One should not confuse nuclear fusion and fission. Nuclear fission is the splitting of a large atom into two or more smaller ones and does not usually occur in nature. It also produces many radioactive particles, while fusion produces very little. The conditions for Nuclear Fusion are high density, and high temperature, while fission is critical mass of the substance and high-speed neutrons. It takes little energy for atoms to split in a fission reaction. In a fusion reaction, extremely high energy is required to bring two or more protons close enough that nuclear forces overcome their electrostatic repulsion.The energy released by fusion is three to four times greater than the energy released by fission. Nuclear fusion is very unlike nuclear fission: fusion requires extremely precise and controlled temperature, pressure and magnetic field parameters for any net energy to be produced along with a far smaller amount of fuel.
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Nuclear_Chemistry/Fission_and_Fusion
Concerns and Precautions
http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/understandingfusion/demo.aspx