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Introduction

Nuclear fusion is a classic, and efficient, way of using power. Over 45 countries use nuclear power as primary sources of power. There are currently 445 nuclear power plants that are operational, and countries are planning on furthering their nuclear power plans. While nuclear power is an amazing way to produce electricity, it is one of the most dangerous ways to produce electricity.

Nuclear Fusion

To achieve nuclear fusion, is a difficult and dangerous procedure. Nuclear fusion occurs when two, or more light nuclei crash into each other. The reaction of this creates a neutron, 4He and produces about 17.6 million electron volts (MeV). The two nuclei that can be used to create this reaction are two types of hydrogen: ²H, called deuterium, and ³H, called tritium.

History

British physicist, Francis William Aston was the first person to discover the concept of nuclear fusion. He discovered that the four hydrogen atoms are heavier than a helium atom He-4. This discovery led him to uncover that energy can be made by combining hydrogen atoms to form helium, and implied that stars could produce energy. In 1920s, Arthur Stanley Eddington invented the theory of proton–proton chain reaction as the reason of the Sun. In 1939, this theory was confirmed when Hans Bethe showed that beta decay and quantum tunneling in the Sun's core might convert one of the protons into a neutron and thereby producing deuterium rather than a diproton. The deuterium would then fuse through other reactions to further increase the energy output. For this work, Bethe won the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The Dangers

One danger of nuclear fusion is the neutron that is released. Neutrons have a tendency to “bind” to nuclei, which causes it to become radioactive. An example of this would be a neutron being absorbed into the wall of a nuclear reactor, and creating radiation.

Uranium is mined