What type of nuclear reaction takes place in stars

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Badge icon Earn a free Open University digital badge if you complete this course, to display and share your achievement. In a fusion reaction, two light nuclei merge to form a single heavier nucleus. The process releases energy because the total mass of the resulting single nucleus is less than the mass of the two original nuclei. The leftover mass becomes energy. If scientists develop a way to harness energy from fusion in machines on Earth, it could be an important method of energy production.

Fusion can involve many different elements in the periodic table. The outer layer of the star glows brightly, sending the energy out into space as electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, heat, ultraviolet light, and radio waves Figure below. In particle accelerators, subatomic particles are propelled until they have attained almost the same amount of energy as found in the core of a star Figure below.

When these particles collide head-on, new particles are created. This process simulates the nuclear fusion that takes place in the cores of stars.

The process also simulates the conditions that allowed for the first helium atom to be produced from the collision of two hydrogen atoms in the first few minutes of the universe. Skip to main content.