In a controlled fusion experiment, deuterium and tritium nuclei are heated to an extremely high temperature before an appreciable fusion rate is obtained. What is the main physical reason for using such a high temperature?
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Question

In a controlled fusion experiment, deuterium and tritium nuclei are heated to an extremely high temperature before an appreciable fusion rate is obtained. What is the main physical reason for using such a high temperature?

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G1 Physics · Accepted Answer

Deuterium and tritium nuclei both carry positive charge. Therefore they repel each other electrostatically before they are close enough for the attractive nuclear force to become important. A very high temperature gives the nuclei large thermal kinetic energy. This greatly increases the probability that they approach to nuclear dimensions and either cross or quantum mechanically tunnel through the Coulomb barrier. Once they come sufficiently close, the strong nuclear force can bind them and fus…