Nuclear Fusion Animation

If the QuickTime plugin is not working, you can download Nuclear Fission QuickTime Movie.

Nuclear fusion is the joining (or fusing) of the nuclei of two atoms to form a single heavier atom. At extremely high temperatures – in the range of tens of millions of degrees – the nuclei of isotopes of hydrogen (and some other light elements) can readily combine to form heavier elements and in the process release considerable energy.

For fusion to occur, the electrostatic repulsion between the atoms must be overcome. Creating these conditions is one of the major problems in triggering a fusion reaction.

This project is part of the National Science Digital Library funded by the Division of Undergraduate Education, National Science Foundation Grant 0434253