10 Why is it so hard to create controlled man-made fusion reactions?
Description
This article is from the Fusion FAQ, by Robert F. Heeter heeter1@llnl.gov with numerous contributions by others.
10 Why is it so hard to create controlled man-made fusion reactions?
In order to get two nuclei to fuse, you basically have to get
them to collide energetically. It turns out that colliding two
beams of particles yields mostly scattering collisions, and few
fusion reactions. Similarly, blasting a stationary target with
a beam of energetic ions also yields too little fusion.
The upshot is that one must find some way to confine hot,
energetic particles so that they can collide many many times,
and finally collide in just the right way, so that fusion occurs.
The temperatures required are upwards of 100 million degrees
(Kelvin - it would be about 200 million Fahrenheit!). At these
temperatures, your fusion fuel will melt/evaporate any material
wall. So the big difficulties in fusion are (a) getting
the particles hot enough to fuse, and (b) confining them long
enough so that they do fuse.
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