Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A deuteron (, ) and a triton (, ) must touch before the nuclear force can act. Take fm. Find the distance between their centres when they touch, and the height of the electric barrier in MeV. Find the temperature at which equals the height of the barrier, in kelvin. Use for and eV/K.
The electric potential energy of two nuclei that touch is MeV, with in fm and . The average kinetic energy of a particle in a gas is , with eV/K. The Sun's luminosity is W, and the energy that goes with a mass is .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The distance. fm and fm. So fm.
Step 2. The barrier. MeV.
Step 3. The temperature. We want , so K.
Answer: fm, MeV and K.
Check. A real fusion plant runs at about K, thirty times cooler. Tunnelling and the fast nuclei in the gas make up the difference.
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