In a fusion reaction, the nuclei of two atoms join to form a single atom of a different element. in such a reaction, a fraction of the rest energy of the original atoms is converted to kinetic energy of the reaction products. a fusion reaction that occurs in the sun converts hydrogen to helium. since electrons are not involved in the reaction, we focus on the nuclei. hydrogen and deuterium (heavy hydrogen) can react to form helium plus a high-energy photon called a gamma ray: