Fusion reactors aim to bring two deuterons close enough to fuse.

PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Electric Charges and Fields · Electric Charges and Fields

Problem

Fusion reactors aim to bring two deuterons close enough to fuse. (i) Calculate the electrostatic potential energy of two deuterons separated by 5 fm5\,\text{fm}. \newline (Use 14πε0=9.0×109 N m2C−2\dfrac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}=9.0\times10^{9}\,\text{N m}^2 \text{C}^{-2} and e=1.6×10−19 Ce=1.6\times10^{-19}\,\text{C}.) (ii) Express this energy in MeV. (iii) Compute the average thermal energy kTkT of a particle at 1.0×108 K1.0\times10^{8}\,\text{K}, taking Boltzmann’s constant k=1.38×10−23 J K−1k = 1.38\times10^{-23}\,\text{J K}^{-1}, and convert it to MeV. (iv) Compare the thermal energy obtained in part (iii) with the electrostatic energy from part (i) and explain why fusion reactors must operate at extremely high temperatures in contrast to fission reactors.

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