Editing Inertial confinement fusion (section)

===Fusion basics===
{{main|Nuclear fusion}}Fusion reactions combine smaller atoms to form larger ones. This occurs when two atoms (or ions, atoms stripped of their electrons) come close enough to each other that the [[nuclear force]] dominates the [[electrostatic force]] that otherwise keeps them apart. Overcoming electrostatic repulsion requires [[kinetic energy]] sufficient to overcome the ''[[Coulomb barrier]]'' or ''fusion barrier''.<ref name=basic>{{cite web |url=https://www.iaea.org/topics/energy/fusion/background |title=Basic fusion physics |website=International Atomic Energy Agency|date=12 October 2016 }}</ref>

Less energy is needed to cause lighter nuclei to fuse, as they have less electrical charge and thus a lower barrier energy. Thus the barrier is lowest for [[hydrogen]]. Conversely, the nuclear force increases with the number of [[nucleon]]s, so [[isotope]]s of hydrogen that contain additional [[neutron]]s reduce the required energy. The easiest fuel is a mixture of <sup>2</sup>H, and <sup>3</sup>H, known as D-T.<ref name=basic/>

The odds of fusion occurring are a function of the fuel density and temperature and the length of time that the density and temperature are maintained. Even under ideal conditions, the chance that a D and T pair fuse is very small. Higher density and longer times allow more encounters among the atoms. This [[Cross section (physics)|cross section]] is further dependent on individual ion energies. This combination, the [[fusion triple product]], must reach the [[Lawson criterion]], to reach ignition.<ref>{{cite web|first=Mark |last=Hoffman |url=http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/5763/20130323/lawson-criteria-make-fusion-power-viable-iter.htm |title=What Is The Lawson Criteria, Or How to Make Fusion Power Viable |publisher=Scienceworldreport.com |date=2013-03-23 |access-date=2014-08-23}}</ref>