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There is a chain of individual steps that need to happen to create the final product of hydrogen fusion, helium. One of the crucial steps is the production of d
by ravar 8y ago
There is a chain of individual steps that need to happen to create the final product of hydrogen fusion, helium. One of the crucial steps is the production of deuterium from two protons. This step is incredibly slow and limits the rest of the chain. However if you skip the slow step and start by fusing deuterium and tritium you can have a much faster and efficient reactor.
- DennisP 8y agoThanks, that was interesting. Apparently the five-minute video I got my statement from led me astray.
- pfdietz 8y agoIndeed. After a D nucleus forms in the sun, it reacts (with a proton, to form 3He and a photon) within a few seconds. The 3He+3He reaction is also slow, but not as slow as that first step.