Simulation of nuclear fusion

Atomic structure, Atomic structure and periodic Table, Chemistry, Energy, Particle model of matter, Physics, Science

Nuclear fission Simulation — Description

Simulation

This interactive HTML5 + Canvas simulation visualizes the deuterium-tritium (D-T) nuclear fusion process — the most promising reaction for practical fusion power on Earth.

It is divided into three clearly labeled tabs:

  1. Approach
    Shows two nuclei (²H/deuterium in cyan and ³H/tritium in green) moving toward each other. It illustrates:
  • Coulomb barrier (electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged protons)
  • Quantum tunnelling (allowing fusion at energies below the classical barrier)
  • Formation of the short-lived excited [⁵He]* compound nucleus
  1. Fusion Event
    Animates the actual fusion step:
    ²H + ³H → [⁵He]* → ⁴He (α-particle) + neutron + 17.6 MeV
  • Clearly separates the products: ⁴He (red, receives ~3.5 MeV kinetic energy, 20%)
  • Neutron (amber/yellow, receives ~14.1 MeV kinetic energy, 80%)
  • Shows the total energy release and momentum conservation
  1. Reactor (Tokamak-style magnetic confinement)
  • Simulates a toroidal plasma at user-controlled temperature (≈40–300 million kelvin via slider)
  • Visualizes many D-T fusion events occurring in a hot plasma
  • Shows alpha particles (⁴He) staying confined and heating the plasma further (self-heating / α-heating)
  • Shows fast neutrons escaping the magnetic field (realistic — they carry most energy to a future blanket)
  • Tracks cumulative reactions and total energy released
  • Includes stylized tokamak coils, plasma glow, and fusion rate increasing strongly with temperature (very low below ~100 MK)

The physics is accurate and fact-checked (D-T cross-section behavior, energy partitioning, ITER-like parameters, no chain reaction, stable ⁴He product, etc.). The visual style is clean/neon-dark with helpful labels.

Suggested Class Activity (high-school physics / introductory nuclear & energy topic, 45–60 min)

Title: “What makes fusion power so hard — and so promising?” – Guided exploration + discussion

Target age/level: Grade 10–12 (or advanced grade 9), after basic introduction to nuclear reactions / binding energy / E=mc²

Setup

  • Students work in pairs or small groups (2–4), each with a device (laptop/tablet/phone — works well on most browsers)
  • Open the simulation in a browser (full screen recommended)
  • Project the simulation on a main screen for whole-class phases

Activity flow

  1. Whole-class introduction (5–8 min)
  • Show the Approach tab → replay a few times
  • Ask: Why don’t the nuclei just smash together easily? → elicit Coulomb repulsion
  • Highlight quantum tunnelling as the “magic” that makes fusion possible at “only” 100–150 million K (compare to Sun’s core ~15 MK using different reaction)
  1. Individual/pair exploration – 12–18 min
    Students cycle through all three tabs (give them ~4–6 min per tab) and answer these short questions (worksheet/handout): Tab Guiding questions Expected key observations Approach 1. What force pushes the nuclei apart?
    2. How can they still fuse? What temperature is needed? Coulomb barrier → tunnelling → ~150 MK Fusion 1. Write the full reaction equation.
    2. Which product gets most of the energy? Why is that important for power production? ²H + ³H → ⁴He + n + 17.6 MeV
    neutron 14.1 MeV (80%), α 3.5 MeV Reactor 1. Slide temperature from ~40 MK → 150 MK → 250 MK. What happens to fusion rate?
    2. Describe what the red particles do vs. the yellow particles.
    3. Why is the temperature slider realistic for tokamaks? Rate explodes above ~100 MK
    Red (⁴He) stay & heat plasma
    Yellow (n) escape → carry energy out
  2. Small-group discussion + synthesis (8–12 min)
    Groups answer & prepare 1-minute share:
  • Why is D-T fusion easier than p-p fusion (Sun-like)?
  • Why do we need such high temperatures even though tunnelling helps?
  • In a real power plant, how would we capture the 14.1 MeV neutrons’ energy? (lithium blanket → heat → steam → turbine)
  • Challenge question: Why isn’t fusion power commercially available yet? (Lawson criterion: temperature × density × confinement time)
  1. Whole-class wrap-up & extension ideas (8–10 min)
  • Replay reactor tab at high temperature → show accumulating reactions & energy
  • Quick poll: “Which is harder engineering challenge: reaching 150 MK or confining the plasma long enough?”
  • Optional extension homework: Compare this tokamak approach to inertial confinement (NIF laser shots) — what are the main differences?

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