nuclear fusion

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the nuclear reaction in which two light atomic nuclei, most commonly isotopes of hydrogen including deuterium and tritium, are forced together at extremely high temperatures and pressures to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy derived from the binding energy difference between the reactants and products; nuclear fusion is the energy source of stars including the Sun and is the basis of thermonuclear weapons; controlled fusion for energy production has been the subject of intense research since the 1950s, pursued through magnetic confinement devices including tokamaks and stellarators and through inertial confinement approaches; achieving net energy gain from controlled fusion remains one of the defining technological challenges of the twenty-first century