Radioactivity Study Guide

Nuclear fusion involves combining light atomic nuclei to release energy, mirroring processes in stars. To achieve fusion, extremely high temperatures (millions of degrees Celsius) and pressures are required to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between positively charged nuclei and enable them to fuse. These conditions are necessary to create a plasma, a state of matter where electrons are stripped from atoms. Containing this superheated plasma for long enough to sustain a reaction is an immense engineering challenge. Practical fusion power stations are difficult to build and operate due to the extreme conditions needed and the technological hurdles in plasma confinement, stability, and handling the intense heat and neutron flux. This makes it an expensive and long-term research goal.