Importance of the second D–T campaign at JET for future fusion tokamak devices

Abstract In 2021, JET conducted a second deuterium–tritium campaign (DTE2) aimed at broadening, refreshing, and improving the understanding of deuterium–tritium plasmas that was initially acquired during the first deuterium–tritium campaign (DTE1) in 1997. The objective of DTE2 was to tackle crucial scientific, operational, engineering, and theoretical/modeling challenges associated with the utilization of deuterium–tritium plasmas for fusion energy production. DTE2 has yielded vital findings that enhance the understanding and blueprint of forthcoming tokamak devices like ITER or DEMO. In DTE2, it has been unambiguously demonstrated the impact of alpha particles generated by fusion deuterium–tritium reactions on electron heating and destabilization of Alfvén modes, as well as the impact of Tritium on several scientific topics such as plasma turbulence and transport, L–H transition and impurity source. Of utmost importance, an entire generation of scientists has been educated on the substantial disparities in the physics and operational aspects of Deuterium and deuterium–tritium plasmas. This recent deuterium–tritium campaign at JET brings us closer to the efficient production of energy through deuterium–tritium fusion reactions.