Two protons don't like each other because they're alike. So how do you get them to come together as a new helium nucleus if they want to repel? Boost the temperature, which speeds everything up. There is a magic temperature at which these protons will come close enough so that an entire new force operates. That's called quantum love.
What is thermonuclear fusion? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down the Department of Energy’s breakthrough, thermonuclear fusion at the center of stars, supernovae, and how stars are born.
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Photo Credit:
NASA/ESA/ESO/Wolfram Freudling et al. (STECF)
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