Question

A deuterium plasma is a neutral mixture of negatively charged electrons and positively charged deuterium charged electrons and positively charged deuterium nuclei. Temperature required to produced fusion in deuterium plasma is : (Take the range of nuclear forces 2 fermi)

• A. 835 K
• B. 835 × 10⁷ K
• C. 8.35 × 10⁷ K
• D. 273 K

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

835 × 10⁷ K

Answer 2

Coulomb repulsion energy between deuterons separated by distance of 2 fermi is

E_C = = 0.72 MeV

The average kinetic energy in a system of particles at a temperature T is of the order of KT, giving

E_C = KT

$\frac { 0.72 \mathrm { MeV } } { \left[ \left( 8.617 \times 10 ^ { - 11 } \mathrm { MeV } \right) / \mathrm { K } \right] } = \mathrm { T }$

T = 8.35 × 10⁹ K