Fusion

 Fusion is one of two nuclear processes we will be learning about.

 During a fusion reaction, two atoms are forced together under very high temperature
and pressure until they combine into a single, new atom.
 This process releases a great quantity of energy.
 It has been discovered that the mass of the product atom is slightly less than the mass of
the atoms that combined in the first place.
 We are familiar with the law of conservation of mass, which tells us that mass cannot be
created nor destroyed. So we must wonder what happened to this now missing mass.
 The missing mass was converted into the large amount of energy that was released in
the fusion process. Just as the mass must have gone somewhere, the energy must have
come from somewhere, too.
 Fusion is a process which does not occur naturally on the Earth. It would be very
convenient if it did as fusion can be achieved with very available elements such as
hydrogen and helium.
 The fusion process requires temperatures and pressures far greater than those on Earth,
and creating those temperatures and pressure would require as much or even more
energy than would be released by the fusion process, making it uneconomical.
 Instead, we look to the stars to witness fusion.
 The infrared, visible and ultraviolet radiation we receive from our own sun are the
product of fusion.
 As you read the next point, I’d like you to examine figures 25.4 and 25.5 on page 253 of
your textbooks.
 In our sun, an atom of deuterium and tritium (both isotopes of hydrogen) combine to
form a helium atom and a lone neutron.
 The helium and neutron have a combined lower mass than the isotopes.
 The process of the combination itself is what releases the energy that spreads
throughout the solar system.
 Once again, some of the original mass is converted into this energy, which is why the
products are lighter.
 This is only possible due to the powerful magnetic field of the sun keeping the process
contained and the very high pressure the hydrogen atoms are under increasing the
chances of fusion events occurring.