01 What is fusion?
Description
This article is from the Fusion FAQ, by Robert F. Heeter heeter1@llnl.gov with numerous contributions by others.
01 What is fusion?
"Fusion" means many things when discussed on the newsgroup.
Technically, "fusion" is short for "Nuclear Fusion," which describes
the class of reactions where two light nuclei fuse together, forming
a heavier nucleus. This heavier nucleus is frequently unstable, and
sometimes splits (fissions) into two or more fragments. "Fusion"
also refers to the type of energy produced, and a "fusion reactor"
describes an energy-producing facility which generates power via
fusion reactors. Finally, "fusion" can also be used to refer to
the scientific program aimed at harnessing fusion for clean,
safe, and hopefully inexpensive energy production - a collaborative
international program which has been carried on for the past 40-some
years. Each of these three uses - the technical, the energy
source, and the scientific research program - is discussed in
a separate section of this FAQ. The technical aspects of
fusion are discussed below in this section.
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