ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Coulomb barrier

A coulomb barrier is like a wall that atoms have to go through if they want to get very close to each other. It's like when you are playing with your toys and you try to push them together but they won't stick because they are magnetically opposite and you can feel like they are repelling each other.

The same happens with atoms. They have particles called protons which have a positive charge and those particles don't want to be close to other particles that also have a positive charge. So if two atoms get very close to each other, they will feel like they are being pushed away by an invisible force.

This force is called the coulomb barrier, and it's like a protective shield that keeps the atoms from touching each other and exploding. The coulomb barrier won't let them combine unless they have enough energy to break through it.

This is important because when scientists study how atoms behave or they want to create new elements, they need to be able to break through this barrier. They use special machines and techniques to do this and it's really cool because it helps us to understand how everything in the universe is made.