Fusion Records in Deuterium (D) and Deuterium-Tritium (DT) Plasmas on Joint European Torus (JET)

Abstract

The JET tokamak was designed and built to perform D and DT operation so that a good confinement

of alpha-particles born in DT fusion reactions could be acieved. This talk will present a short overview

of the magnetic nuclear fusion aims and experimental status, followed by description of JET D and DT

plasma records achieved in 1997 (C wall of the machine) and of JET D and DT records achieved recently

in 2021-2022 (W divertor, Be wall of the machine). The recent second major JET DT campaign (DTE2),

performed 25 years after the first DT campaign (DTE1) in 1997, represented the culmination of a series

of JET enhancements—new fusion diagnostics, new T injection capabilities, refurbishment of the T

plant, increased auxiliary heating, in-vessel calibration of 14 MeV neutron yield monitors—as well as

significant advances in plasma theory and modelling. The new DT experiments used 1 kg of T (vs 100

g in DTE1), yielding the most fusion reactor relevant DT plasmas to date and expanding our

understanding of isotopes and DT mixture physics. The key physics results of the JET DTE1 and DTE2

experiments are discussed in this talk.