image credit: NASA/SOHO; image source; larger image

Fusion in the sun

The sun's energy source is the fusion of protons into helium. To learn about this process, visit UCAR's Fusion Inside the Stars and Nick Strobel's The Sun's Power Source.

(This feature was updated on July 26, 2011.)

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Fusion in the Sun!

Explore the fusion chain reaction that powers the sun at Fusion in the Sun!. You can vary the temperature and the hydrogen concentration as you watch the nuclear reactions occur.

(This feature was updated on July 26, 2011.)

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image credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; small image source; large image source

Inertial Fusion Energy

The image above shows the alignment of a target for an experimental inertial fusion reactor. Click on the image to see the chamber in which 192 laser beams focus on this small target. To learn more about this experiment, visit Inertial Fusion Energy and also the links within.

Physics in Action: Fusion Machines

Visit Physics Central's Physics in Action: Fusion Machines to learn more about the effort to harness fusion reactions in the sun to produce electrical energy. For a cautionary note, see this New Scientist article.