In devices designed to facilitate this process, normalized beta must be below the Troyon limit of 2.8 to ensure ballooning modes are stable. Exceeding the Kruskal–Shafranov limit of q equals one in devices designed to facilitate this process suppresses kink instabilities. Whether this process can occur continuously is determined with the Lawson criterion. Early systems designed to facilitate this process include the Z-pinch and stellarator. In 2022, the NIF triggered this process’s (*) “inertial confinement” form such that it produced more energy than it took in. Reactors powered by this process could toroidally plasma confine in tokamaks. For 10 points, what process involves the production of heavier elements upon the merging of nuclei? ■END■