nuclear fusion

(noun)

A reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei collide at very high speed and join to form a new type of atomic nucleus

Related Terms

Examples of nuclear fusion in the following topics:

  • Nuclear Fusion

    • Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together to form a single heavier nucleus and large amounts of energy.
    • Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse," to form a single heavier nucleus.
    • The origin of the energy released in fusion of light elements is due to an interplay of two opposing forces: the nuclear force that draws together protons and neutrons, and the Coulomb force that causes protons to repel each other.
    • The nuclear force is stronger than the Coulomb force for atomic nuclei smaller than iron, so building up these nuclei from lighter nuclei by fusion releases the extra energy from the net attraction of these particles.
    • Describe the electrostatic and strong nuclear forces and how they act to oppose or promote a fusion reaction

  • The Hydrogen Bomb

    • The hydrogen bomb is a nuclear weapon that uses a mixture of fission and fusion to produce a massive explosion.
    • A thermonuclear weapon is a nuclear weapon designed to use the heat generated by a fission bomb to compress a nuclear fusion stage.
    • The only two nuclear weapons that have been used were both fission-based.
    • The energy released by the primary section compresses the secondary through a process called "radiation implosion," at which point it is heated and undergoes nuclear fusion.
    • The nuclear fusion releases neutrons much faster than a fission reaction, and these neutrons then bombard the remaining fissile fuel, causing it to undergo fission much more rapidly.

  • Fusion Reactors

    • A fusion reactor is designed to use the thermal energy from nuclear fusion to produce electricity.
    • Fusion power is the power generated by nuclear fusion processes.
    • This is similar to the process used in fossil fuel and nuclear fission power stations.
    • Above this atomic mass, energy will generally be released by nuclear fission reactions; below this mass, energy will be released by fusion.
    • According to the Lawson criterion, the easiest and most immediately promising nuclear reaction for fusion power is:

  • Particle Accelerator

    • While current particle accelerators are focused on smashing subatomic particles together, early particle accelerators would smash entire atoms together, inducing nuclear fusion and thus nuclear transmutation.
    • Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one chemical element or isotope into another.
    • This occurs either through nuclear reactions in which an outside particle reacts with a nucleus, which can be supplied by a particle accelerator, or through radioactive decay, where no outside particle is needed.
    • Nuclear transmutation was first consciously applied to modern physics by Frederick Soddy when he, along with Ernest Rutherford, discovered that radioactive thorium was converting itself into radium in 1901.

  • Iron

    • Iron's very common presence in rocky planets like Earth is due to its abundant production as a result of fusion in high-mass stars.
    • This is where the production of nickel-56 (which decays to the most common isotope of iron) is the last nuclear fusion reaction that is exothermic.

  • Nuclear Binding Energy and Mass Defect

    • This energy—available as nuclear energy—can be used to produce nuclear power or build nuclear weapons.
    • Nuclear binding energy is also used to determine whether fission or fusion will be a favorable process.
    • For elements lighter than iron-56, fusion will release energy because the nuclear binding energy increases with increasing mass.
    • As such, there is a peak at iron-56 on the nuclear binding energy curve.
    • Calculate the mass defect and nuclear binding energy of an atom

  • The Atomic Bomb

    • Atomic bombs are nuclear weapons that use the energetic output of nuclear fission to produce massive explosions.
    • Atomic bombs are nuclear weapons that use the energetic output of nuclear fission to produce massive explosions.
    • These bombs are in contrast to hydrogen bombs, which use both fission and fusion to power their greater explosive potential.
    • Only two nuclear weapons have been used in the course of warfare, both by the United States near the end of World War II.
    • This X-ray energy produces the blast and fire which are normally the purpose of a nuclear explosion.

  • Elemental Boron

    • Boron is produced entirely by cosmic ray spallation (as a result of nuclear reactions), and not by stellar nucleosynthesis (not within stars as a result of fusion or supernovae).

  • Nuclear Reactors

    • A nuclear reactor is a piece of equipment in which nuclear chain reactions can be harnessed to produce energy in a controlled way.
    • The energy released from nuclear fission can be harnessed to make electricity with a nuclear reactor.
    • A nuclear reactor is a piece of equipment where nuclear chain reactions can be controlled and sustained.
    • However, nuclear reactors produce nuclear waste containing radioactive elements.
    • Describe the nuclear chain reaction process utilized in most nuclear reactors

  • Nuclear Fission

    • Nuclear fission occurs when an atom splits into two or more smaller atoms, most often the as the result of neutron bombardment.
    • Nuclear fission is a process by which the nucleus of an atom is split into two or more smaller nuclei, known as fission products.
    • The strong nuclear force is the force between two or more nucleons.
    • In atoms with small nuclei, the strong nuclear force overpowers the electromagnetic force.
    • As the nucleus gets bigger, the electromagnetic force becomes greater than the strong nuclear force.