What is fusion?

Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars. It is the reaction in which two atoms of hydrogen combine together, or fuse, to form an atom of helium. In the process, some of the mass of the hydrogen is converted to energy. Fusion has the potential to be an inexhaustible source of energy.

Fusion Basics

Nuclear Fusion is the energy-producing process which takes place continuously in the sun and the stars. Today, we are closer than ever to realizing the dream of harnessing the nuclear process that powers our sun. Fusion produces minimal waste and offers the hope of an almost limitless supply of safe, dependable energy.

The hot fusion plasma consists of fully detached ions and electrons. For earth-bound fusion power plants, the fuel consists of isotopes of Hydrogen (Deuterium and Tritium) whose supply is basically limitless.

The sun confines its hot plasma through the force of gravity. On earth, scientists cannot use gravity but are instead experimenting with magnetic confinement and inertial confinement. Magnetic confinement uses the physics principle that charged particles tend to follow magnetic field lines, thereby containing the plasma in a "magnetic vessel." Inertial confinement keeps the plasma together by inertial forces alone. This requires enormous pulses of energy from a number of focused lasers or particle beams.

[http:/ Fusion research at General Atomics] includes both magnetically- and inertially-confined fusion plasmas.

More information on fusion, including resources for teachers and tours of the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, can be found on the General Atomics Fusion Education Website.