Fusion reaction takes place at high temperature because:

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1. **Coulomb Barrier:** Nuclear fusion involves the combination of two light nuclei (e.g., hydrogen isotopes) to form a heavier nucleus. Since nuclei are positively charged, they experience a strong electrostatic force of repulsion (Coulomb repulsion) when brought close together .
2. **Role of Temperature:** To fuse, the nuclei must get close enough (within the range of the strong nuclear force, roughly femtometers). To overcome the Coulomb repulsive barrier, the participating nuclei must have very high kinetic energy.
3. **Thermonuclear Fusion:** High temperature corresponds to high average kinetic energy of the particles. Therefore, fusion reactions require extremely high temperatures (approx $10^7$ to $10^9$ K) to provide the nuclei with enough energy to overcome the repulsive forces and merge .

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