What is thermonuclear fusion?

There are two types of thermonuclear fusion: controlled and uncontrolled. Thermonuclear fusion is a method of achieving nuclear fusion using extremely high temperatures.

Uncontrolled thermonuclear fusion takes place in thermonuclear weapons like the hydrogen bomb, or H-bomb, whereas controlled thermonuclear fusion happens in a setting where the energy generated can be used for beneficial purposes.

Thermonuclear fusion requires confinement; the plasma must be kept in a vacuum because it cannot come into contact with any solid material at these high temperatures.

Gravitational confinement, magnetic confinement, and inertial confinement are the three forms of confinement that are employed to achieve thermonuclear fusion.

Because the mass required to meet the Lawson criterion for fusion is so high, only stars—the smallest of which are red dwarfs or, if they have enough mass, brown dwarfs—can achieve gravitational confinement. Only stars are able to fuse lithium and deuterium together.

A strong magnetic field can be used to confine fusion fuel because electrically charged particles, like fuel ions, follow the lines of the magnetic field.

A large fusion fuel pellet must be subjected to a fast energy pulse in order to undergo inertial confinement, which causes the fuel to implode and heat to a high pressure and temperature.

Thermonuclear fusion is a process in which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy in the process. This process powers the sun and other stars, and scientists are researching ways to harness it for energy production on Earth.