Do not confuse the historical milestone of thermonuclear fusion with the nuclear fission of Chernobyl

One letter can change everything. This week there was a big announcement about thermonuclear reaction which was greeted with jubilation as the first step in the development of a new way of obtaining energy. However, with the announcement, we may have doubts. Doesn’t already exist nuclear power plant? And doesn’t it carry something known as nuclear fusion?

This is not an unfounded doubt, because in fact what is produced at these nuclear power plants has a very similar name: Nuclear fission. However, despite the fact that the difference is only one letter, they almost opposite concepts. And they have many differences.

To begin with, nuclear fission consists of separate the nucleus of a heavy atom lighter in others. Instead, a fusion occurs with the reverse process: the nuclei of two light atoms they mergeto give rise to a heavier one. This is a process in which, if certain conditions are metyields a large amount of energy. So much so that this is how the Sun and other stars should remain. lit. The problem is that reproducing here on Earth is not easy. That is why the announcement made these days was so important, because for the first time more energy was received than was put into the process. This increases the possibility of using this energy in the future, as is the case with Nuclear fission. So what are the other differences?

Differences between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission

We have already seen that the process is quite the opposite. In other words, nuclear fusion consists of joining, and fission consists of division. But that’s not all.

Nuclear fission occurs through chain reaction, so it is very difficult to stop it in the event of a malfunction that threatens objects. In contrast, in nuclear fusion, as soon as the fuel supply is cut off or the vacuum in which the reaction proceeds is broken, it stops completely.

On the other hand, in nuclear fission, both the reactants and the waste are very radioactive. As a consequence, in the case of leaks caused by accidents such as Fukushima or Chernobyl, this will pose a great danger, which will also last for millions of years.

Chernobyl. Mick de Paola (Unsplash)

Nuclear fusion typically uses two isotopes of hydrogen, known as tritium and deuterium, as fuel. They drain their cores to give rise helium atom and residual neutron. Tritium is reactive, but this is not a problem because it is consumed in the reaction. As for helium, it is completely harmless. For this reason, nuclear fusion is presented as a form clean and safe energy. The truth is he’s clean because does not cause carbon dioxide emissionssuch as fossil fuels. In reality, nuclear fission does not produce these emissions either. As far as safety is concerned, it is true that nuclear fusion is safer than fission. But here it is necessary to make a clarification, as it is often said that this is because it does not form radioactive waste, and this is not entirely true.

As he explained hypertext Rafael Juarez Manyas, UNED energy professor and nuclear fusion expert, will be completely safe. if the reactors are well designed. “There is waste and it is radioactive, but they are like in a hospital,” he notes. “The hospital also has radioactive waste, and it has nothing to do with fission.” In addition, the time during which these residues are dangerous is very different from the time of fission. “When you finish operating the station, there is a lot of radioactive waste in the reactor vessel, you have to bury it and wait. 100-200 years“, – explains the expert. “You have to do it, but it cannot be compared with a nuclear installation in which the fuel it takes millions of years to stop being dangerous“. This would be a very bad legacy for possible civilizations or species that would completely escape our control.

Hence, this is another difference between nuclear fission and fusion. In any case, the other big difference today is that nuclear fission can already be used for energy, with its light and its shadows. thermonuclear reaction, on the other hand, is still in its infancy. However, it has great potential. We have already seen that what is expected of him is viable. We will have to keep working on it, so that one day this difference will cease to exist.