Fusion Basics

Nuclear reactions are capable of releasing huge quantities of energy. Such reactions can be achieved either by the nuclear fission (splitting) of elements of high atomic number or by the nuclear fusion (joining) of elements with low atomic number. In astrophysics, fusion reactions power the stars and produce all but the lightest elements. The most efficient reaction to utilise fusion on earth is the DT fusion reaction in which nuclei of the two Hydrogen isotopes Deuterium (D) and Tritium (T) are forced together to overcome the rejection due to their electric charge and to allow them to fuse due to the strong nuclear binding force between them. The product of this reaction is a Helium nucleus and a neutron, both with very high kinetic energy.

To achieve the temperatures, densities and confinement times required to provoke sufficient fusion reactions, various magnetic confinement devices have been designed and researched. Among these the tokamak is the most highly developed.