Abstract:

The concept of nuclear fusion is not new to humanity; in fact, it has been tried numerous times throughout history to be accomplished in a practical and effective manner. 

We have been captivated by the interactions between tiny objects ever since we first viewed them. Even when the notion of the indivisibility of the atom predominated in our understanding of the atom, we remained interested in learning more about it. However, as we did, we came to the conclusion that this picture was false and that there was something even more fundamental underneath: the nucleons that make up the nucleus and are held in place by powerful, mutually supportive forces of nature. A nuclear physicist examines interactions of this nature. And as you are cognizant, such interactions take place in the core of our sun, among many other stars. We, on the other hand, imagined recreating our own “sun” here on Earth, by various means. In addition to numerous failures, we also occasionally achieved success—or so we believed. 

I will delve into the inner workings of the nuclei in this general discussion of nuclear physics, focusing on the fusion reactions, and attempt to explain why achieving these fusion reactions is such a pompously difficult task, both scientifically and economically, in the simplest terms possible.