Let's analyze the steps of the fusion process provided in the problem:
1. Step 1:
[tex]\({ }_1^1 H + { }_1^1 H \rightarrow { }_1^2 H + e^{+} + \nu + \text{energy}\)[/tex]
2. Step 2:
[tex]\({ }_1^2 H + { }_1^1 H \rightarrow { }_2^3 He + \text{energy}\)[/tex]
3. Step 3:
[tex]\({ }_2^3 He + { }_2^3 He \rightarrow { }_2^4 He + { }_1^1 H + { }_1^1 H + \text{energy}\)[/tex]
4. Step 4:
[tex]\(6({ }_1^1 H) + 2 {\binom{-1}{1}} \rightarrow { }_2^4 He + 2({ }_1^1 H) + \text{energy} + 2 \nu\)[/tex]
To identify the second step of the fusion process, we can match each given step with the respective process:
1. The first step involves two protons [tex]\(({ }_1^1 H)\)[/tex] fusing to form deuterium [tex]\(({ }_1^2 H)\)[/tex], a positron [tex]\(e^{+}\)[/tex], a neutrino [tex]\(\nu\)[/tex], and releasing energy.
2. The second step involves deuterium [tex]\(({ }_1^2 H)\)[/tex] fusing with another proton [tex]\(({ }_1^1 H)\)[/tex] to form helium-3 [tex]\(({ }_2^3 He)\)[/tex] and releasing energy.
Given the provided result, the second step of the fusion process is correctly represented by:
[tex]\({ }_1^2 H + { }_1^1 H \rightarrow { }_2^3 He + \text{energy}\)[/tex].
Hence, the correct step representing the second step of the fusion process is:
[tex]\[
{ }_1^2 H +{ }_1^1 H \rightarrow{ }_2^3 He + \text{ energy}
\][/tex]
So, the second step of the fusion process is:
[tex]\[
{ }_1^2 H +{ }_1^1 H \rightarrow{ }_2^3 He + \text{ energy}
\][/tex]
