Samrunaviðbrögð

Samrunaviðbrögð are nuclear reactions where two or more atomic nuclei collide at very high speeds and fuse to form a new, heavier nucleus. This process releases a tremendous amount of energy, far exceeding that of chemical reactions. The conditions required for samrunaviðbrögð to occur are extremely high temperatures and pressures, typically found in the core of stars, including our Sun.

In a samrunaviðbragð, the positively charged nuclei must overcome their mutual electrostatic repulsion to get close enough for the strong nuclear force to bind them together. This requires overcoming a significant energy barrier, which is why such extreme conditions are necessary. The energy released comes from the difference in mass between the initial nuclei and the resulting heavier nucleus, following Einstein's famous equation E=mc². A small amount of mass is converted into a large amount of energy.

The most common and well-studied samrunaviðbrögð involves isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium, fusing to form helium and a neutron. This reaction is of great interest for energy production on Earth due to its potential for clean and abundant energy. However, achieving and sustaining the necessary conditions for controlled samrunaviðbrögð on Earth has proven to be a significant scientific and engineering challenge. Research in this field aims to replicate the processes occurring in stars to harness this powerful energy source.