Heavy hydrogen atoms
Deuterium
Plasma
150 million°C
Neutron
Energy
Tritium
Fused atoms
Helium
1. Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms combine to form a new atom and a neutron
2. The atoms are fired into a plasma where extreme temperatures overcome their repulsion and forces them together
3. The fusion releases about four times the energy produced when an atom is split in conventional nuclear fission
Heavy hydrogen atoms
Deuterium
Plasma
150 million°C
Neutron
Energy
Tritium
Fused atoms
Helium
1. Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms combine to form a new atom and a neutron
2. The atoms are fired into a plasma where extreme temperatures overcome their repulsion and forces them together
3. The fusion releases about four times the energy produced when an atom is split in conventional nuclear fission