Pycnonuclear fusion is a type of nuclear fusion that occurs under conditions of extreme density, which leads to an increase in the probability of fusion reactions between nuclei. Unlike the more commonly known thermonuclear fusion, which occurs at high temperatures (like those found in stars), pycnonuclear fusion takes place at relatively lower temperatures but at much higher densities, where the nuclei are forced close enough together that the quantum effects of nuclear force dominate the interactions.
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