Together with Nuclear Fusion

Fusion power is a method of creating energy by fusing the nuclei of atoms together. During this process, called nuclear fusion, the nuclei of two or more atoms combine into one nucleus. The final nucleus actually ends up with less mass than the sum of the original nuclei. The "lost" mass is converted into energy. 

As opposed to nuclear fission, nuclear fusion is the reaction when two light atomic nuclei fuse together, forming a heavier nucleus. That nucleus releases energy. So far, fusion power generators bum more energy than they create. However, that may change with the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Southern France. To be completed in 2016 at a cost of about 11.7 billion, the reactor is a pilot project to show the world the feasibility of full-scale fusion power. 

Nuclear fusion is a process where small nuclei are forced together with an extremely large amount of energy in an effort to join them into a larger nucleus. 

For cells expressing GFP fusion protein, Hoechst 33342 or Draq5 nuclear stain is added to the fixative to ready the cells for image acquisition. For immunofluorescence staining, the cells are incubated with PBS-TB (PBS with 0.2% Triton X-100, 0.1% bovine serum albumin [BSA]) for 10 min to permeabilize the cell membranes. Primary antibody is then added at 0.5 to 5 pg/mL in PBS-TB and incubated at room temperature for 1 hr or at 4°C overnight. The wells are then washed two times with PBS-TB. Fluorescently labeled secondary antibody is added at 2 pg/mL together with 10 pg/mL Hoechst 33342 nuclear stain in PBS-TB and incubated at room temperature for 1 to 2 hr. The cells are then washed with PBS-TB and once with PBS before image acquisition. 

An interesting application of catalytic membrane reactors [14,136] relates to the production of tritium which together with deuterium will be the fuel for the fusion reactors of the future. Tritium is produced by mearts of a nuclear reaction between neutrons and lithium atoms in a breeder reactor. The tritium thus produced must be further purified to reach the purity levels that are required in the fusion reactor. For the extraction and purification process Basile and... 

Although the isotopes of an element have very similar chemical properties, they behave as completely different substances in nuclear reactions. Consequently, the separation of isotopes of certain elements, notably from U and deuterium from hydrogen, is of great importance in nuclear technology. Table 1.5 lists isotopes important in nuclear power applications, together with their natural abundance and processes that have been used or proposed for their separation. In addition to applications mentioned earlier in this chapter. Table 1.5 includes the use of D and Li as fuel for fusion power, a topic treated briefly in Sec. 9, following. 

Both lighter and heavier isotopes are less stable (less binding energy per nuclear particle) than those isotopes with masses between 50 atomic mass units (amu) and about 65 amu. The most stable isotope is that of iron-56. Light isotopes can be fused together to form more stable atoms (nuclear fusion), and heavier isotopes can be split into more stable, lighter atoms (nuclear fission). 

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. 

Carbon is the I4th most abundant element, making up about 0.048% of the Earths crust. It is the sixth most abundant element in the universe, which contains 3.5 atoms of carbon for every atom of silicon. Carbon is a product of the cosmic nuclear process called fusion, through which helium nuclei are burned and fused together to form carbon atoms with the atomic number 12. Only five elements are more abundant in the universe than carbon hydrogen, helium, oxygen, neon, and nitrogen. 

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