The process of fusing nuclei of light atoms, often at very high temperatures, to release energy. The nuclei fuse when they overcome the repulsive Coulombic forces and come close enough to each other to allow the short-range strong nuclear forces to act. In this process, the nuclear binding energy in the nuclei changes and the excess energy is released. Thermonuclear fusion reactions take place in the cores of all stars. These are different types of reactions, such as the proton-proton chain, the CNO cycle or the triple alpha process. On Earth, people are trying to master deuterium-tritium fusion, in which the nuclei of two isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium, would fuse. This reaction could be used to generate electricity.