On Sunday, 25 June 2023, 40 years have passed since the first plasma was produced at the JET (Joint European Torus) tokamak located in Culham near Oxford, UK. It is the most advanced device in the world designed for nuclear fusion research. JET is currently the only tokamak in the world that can operate using deuterium and tritium (D-T), the fuel mix planned for future fusion power plants.

More than 31 European laboratories, namely experts, students and researchers from all over Europe are involved in the research (co-funded by the European Commission) led by the EUROfusion consortium.

Several dozen Polish scientists have also participated in numerous experiments conducted at the tokamak since 2005, including the IPPLM, IFJ PAN, PW, PWr, UO, NCU, AM and NCBJ. Their contribution to the research conducted at JET concerns, among others:

• design and preparation of modern detectors for soft X-ray diagnostics,
• analysis and interpretation of experimental data recorded using various diagnostics,
• studies on the behaviour of plasma impurities in order to control them and minimize their accumulation,
• measurements of fusion reaction products (neutrons and fast helium ions),
• calibration of the neutron diagnostics system in JET for the energy of 14 MeV,
• performing numerous reconstructions of tomographic plasma radiation based on bolometric data,
• development and application of numerical methods in plasma research.

JET is currently the largest and most powerful operating tokamak in the world. It is a key element in the history of fusion energy research. We Poles have been part of the JET community for 18 years. Over the years, we have become specialists, having the opportunity to work in an international team of scientists. We not only witnessed but also participated in the groundbreaking achievement when the world record for fusion energy was set at JET. For 40 years, JET has inspired generations of researchers, including physicists and engineers, to go even further in this very interesting research on nuclear fusion" - concludes Dr. Agata Chomiczewska, IPPLM professor, national coordinator of research at the JET tokamak from the IPPLM.

Credit: UKAEA

For more information please visit: https://euro-fusion.org