Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two or more light atomic nuclei combine, or fuse, to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy in the process. It is the reaction that powers the Sun and other stars, where the extreme temperatures and pressures of the stellar core force hydrogen nuclei …
Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two or more light atomic nuclei combine, or fuse, to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy in the process. It is the reaction that powers the Sun and other stars, where the extreme temperatures and pressures of the stellar core force hydrogen nuclei together to form helium. Because the mass of the fused nucleus is slightly less than the combined mass of the original nuclei, the difference is converted into energy in accordance with the mass-energy equivalence principle. Fusion is widely studied as a potential large-scale energy source because its fuel, primarily isotopes of hydrogen, is abundant, it produces no carbon dioxide during operation, and it generates far less long-lived radioactive waste than nuclear fission. Achieving controlled, net-energy-positive fusion on Earth requires confining a plasma at very high temperatures, typically through magnetic confinement in devices such as tokamaks or through inertial confinement using lasers. In the context of Energy Conservation, fusion is examined as a clean, high-density energy pathway whose efficient capture and management depend on the same conservation principles that govern all energy transformations. Research into fusion remains an active and demanding frontier of physics and engineering.
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The 2 articles above have been cited 26 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
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