In 2021, the second deuterium-tritium (DTE2) campaign took place at the Joint European Torus (JET) in Culham, UK, operated by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). The campaign caused a sensation mainly due to the energy record of 59 megajoules of energy output achieved during the experiments, which was announced in February 2022.
Apart from this record, however, there were other important scientific results from the DTE2 campaign. These include, for example, the first direct observations of alpha heating, the process by which the fusion reaction can keep its fuel hot enough to keep the reaction going.
The results of the DTE2 experiments have now been presented by researchers from the European consortium for fusion research EUROfusion at the 29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference in London (Oct. 16-21, 2023), as well as published in a special issue of the journal Nuclear Fusion. The work will prove critical to the operation of future fusion experimental facilities such as ITER and demonstrates the potential of fusion as a future energy source, the researchers say.
Click here to read EUROfusion's press release.