Fusion, nuclear plasma temperature requirement

Lithium is, and is expected to be, important in advanced nuclear appHcations. Among the fusion reactions that have been proposed for power generation, the one between deuterium and tritium has the best prospect for success because it requires the lowest plasma temperature. Tritium is prepared from Hthium. As coolants in a possible fusion reactor, fused lithium metal or molten fluorides of Hthium and berylHum have been proposed. For breeder reactors a molten salt fuel is used, compKJsed of beryUi-um fluoride, thorium fluoride and uranium fluoride together with the fluoride of the isotope Li. 

Atoms are first stripped of their electrons at very high temperatures this creates a plasma (ionized gas) of positive ions. Then the positive ions must be brought into close enough proximity, so that the strong attractive force between nucleons can overwhelm the Coulomb repulsion between them. Magnetic fields can confine hot plasmas of ions, provided that collective instabilities of these plasmas can be controlled. For a successful nuclear fusion reactor, three requirements must be met (1) The density of the plasma must exceed some critical value p. (2) The plasma confinement time must exceed some critical value t. (3) The temperature of the plasma must exceed some critical value 9... 

The requirement that plasma be at very high temperatures is related to the collision theory of chemical kinetics. Briefly describe the similarities and one significant difference between chemical reactions and nuclear reactions such as fusion. 

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