Radium wrote:
Steve Willner wrote in
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.a...10441b2?hl=en& :
SW At high temperatures, molecules tend to dissociate to form
SW individual atoms. At even higher temperatures, the atoms break
SW up into separate nuclei and electrons. And at temperatures
SW higher still (far above anything relevant to stellar
SW atmospheres), the nuclei themselves break up.

In article .com,
"Radium" writes:
Huh? If that was the case, then there would be nuclear fusion would
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
require much lower temperatures.

Why would you think that? Fusion means combining nucleons, not
separating them.

Fusion is the combining of nucleons. However, you said nuclei break up
at extremely high temperatures. That is fission, not fusion.

The source of the confusion is that you used the
term "nuclear fusion". Perhaps you should clarify
if that was just a typo or what you meant if not.

HTH
George