Mechanism for Energy Released via the Strong Force in Fusion

In summary: In fact, the distance they traveled is not conserved. The strong force does work on the deuterons as they pull together, but the energy that is released is not just the gravitational energy that was there to start with. It is the energy that is stored in the strong force itself. This is why the strong force has such a powerful effect. In summary, the strong force leads to an energy release when two light nuclei such as hydrogen fuse together.
  • #1
Jimmy87
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Hi,

I was wondering if there is a mechanism to explain how the strong force leads to an energy release when two light nuclei such as hydrogen fuse together. I get that the products of fusion have less mass than the reactants and that this "missing" mass is converted into energy in accordance with E=mc2. I also get that the products are more "tightly bound" and have less binding energy per nucleon. I just wondered what the mechanism was for how the strong force actually does this? If we take gravity for example, to explain why energy is released when an asteroid falls to Earth we can say that the gravitational force does work on the asteroid. How does the strong force cause this energy release/mass defect?

Thanks for any insights/info offered.
 
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  • #2
Conceptually, I think it is no different than your asteroid example. If I start with the Earth and an asteroid at infinite separation and let the asteroid fall to Earth, the attractive gravitational force does work on the asteroid as it falls, and we end up with a bound configuration where the Earth and the asteroid, which are now closer together, have less gravitational energy than they did before. In the case of nuclear fusion, consider two deuterons at infinite separation and push them together. Once you have overcome their Coulomb repulsion, the attractive strong force takes over and pulls the two deuterons together. The strong force does work on the deuterons as they pull together, and we end up with a more tightly bound configuration than we started with. How is this conceptually different from the gravitational case?
 
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  • #3
This is what I thought - I was just checking that the gravitational mechanism comparison is acceptable. Does it work out the same mathematically? For example, if a mass falls to the Earth then the gravitational force multiplied by the distance it falls is exactly the energy it releases. If you multiplied the strong nuclear force by the distance the nuclei move would you get the same answer as you would from using the missing mass of the products and multiplying it by the speed of light squared?
 
  • #4
Jimmy87 said:
This is what I thought - I was just checking that the gravitational mechanism comparison is acceptable. Does it work out the same mathematically? For example, if a mass falls to the Earth then the gravitational force multiplied by the distance it falls is exactly the energy it releases. If you multiplied the strong nuclear force by the distance the nuclei move would you get the same answer as you would from using the missing mass of the products and multiplying it by the speed of light squared?

I think it's just not that simple. When a rock falls to the Earth, both the rock and the Earth maintain their identities. When two deuterons fuse together to make a helium nucleus, the helium nucleus is not just two deuterons resting against one another. It is not even two protons and two neutrons flying around. It is a constantly changing "soup" of quarks and gluons. So you can't even say how far the two deuterons "fell" when they assembled to make the helium nucleus.
 

1. How does the strong force contribute to energy release in fusion?

The strong force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature and is responsible for binding together the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. During fusion, when two atomic nuclei come together and fuse into a single nucleus, the strong force is responsible for binding the protons and neutrons together, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process.

2. What role does the strong force play in the process of fusion?

The strong force is crucial in the process of fusion as it is the force that overcomes the repulsive force between positively charged protons in the nuclei of atoms. Without the strong force, fusion would not be possible and the energy released would be significantly lower.

3. Can you explain the mechanism by which the strong force releases energy in fusion?

During fusion, the nuclei of two atoms come close enough for the strong force to overcome the repulsive force between the positively charged protons. This causes the nuclei to fuse together, releasing energy in the form of photons (light) and heat. The release of energy is a result of the strong force holding the newly formed nucleus together.

4. How is the strong force related to the stability of atoms?

The strong force is essential for the stability of atoms as it is responsible for holding the nucleus together. Without the strong force, the repulsive force between protons would cause the nucleus to break apart, making atoms unstable. The balance between the strong force and the repulsive force is what determines the stability of an atom.

5. Are there any other forces involved in the energy release during fusion?

Yes, in addition to the strong force, the weak force also plays a role in the energy release during fusion. The weak force is responsible for the conversion of some of the mass of the fused nuclei into energy, according to Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2. This additional energy release further contributes to the overall energy released during fusion reactions.

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