Why is controlled nuclear fusion difficult?
Fusion can release energy by joining light nuclei, but sustaining the hot plasma needed for controlled production is difficult.
Physical mechanism and core principles
Positive nuclei repel one another, and extreme temperature raises the chance of crossing that barrier. Temperature, density and confinement time must all be sufficient.
Evidence, applications and limits
Tritium breeding, neutron damage to materials and whole-plant energy balance are central challenges. Target-level gain is not the same as continuous net electricity. Quantitative interpretation must state boundary conditions, units and ideal-model assumptions.
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