thermonuclear reaction

American  

noun

Chemistry, Physics.

1. a nuclear-fusion reaction that takes place between the nuclei of a gas, especially hydrogen, heated to a temperature of several million degrees.

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thermonuclear reaction British  

noun

1. a nuclear fusion reaction occurring at a very high temperature: responsible for the energy produced in the sun, nuclear weapons, and fusion reactors See nuclear fusion hydrogen bomb

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thermonuclear reaction Cultural  

1. A reaction between nuclei, usually fusion, which releases very large amounts of energy.

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Example Sentences

This thermonuclear reaction creates vast amounts of light and heat, allowing our home star to shine.

From Scientific American • Nov. 10, 2023

It’s the thermonuclear reaction that powers the sun and other stars — the fusing of hydrogen atoms into helium.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2022

Fusion is the thermonuclear reaction that lights up the sun and other stars — the fusing of hydrogen atoms into helium.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2022

Opatrný says using the radiation from accretion disks would be particularly clever, because the disks convert energy more efficiently than the thermonuclear reaction in conventional stars.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 16, 2021

Our knowledge of phenomena such as nuclear fusion, thermonuclear reaction, stellar explosions, genes and genetic codes, and complex dynamic systems is no longer predominantly based on inductions from observed facts to theories explaining such facts.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai