Nuclear Fusion: Holy Grail of Energy

Abstract

The declining reserves of fossil fuels and their detrimental effects on the environment have thrust nuclear power based on fission reaction into the limelight as a promising option to energy-starved economies around the world. However, the 1986 Chernobyl and 2011 Fukushima accidents have heightened our fears about nuclear technology ’ s ability to provide a safe way of generating clean power. There is another kind of nuclear energy that has been powering the Sun and stars since their formation. It is nuclear fusion — a process in which two lighter nuclei, typically isotopes of hydrogen, combine together under conditions of extreme pressure and temperature to form a heavier nucleus. In this chapter, harnessing the energy produced in nuclear fusion reaction in a laboratory environment is discussed. Various research programs dedicated to building fusion reactors are also discussed. Emphasis is given on over-coming some of the technological challenges, such as surmounting the Coulomb barrier, confining the plasma, and achieving the “ ignition ” temperature for fusion.