First observation of pT fusion in JET tritium plasmas with ICRF heating of protons

High power ICRF heating of a hydrogen minority ion species in JET tritium plasmas has generated a total neutron rate that is about 40% larger than the 14 MeV neutron rate originating from fusion reactions between bulk tritium ions and deuterium minority ions. The T(p,n)(3) He fusion reaction, caused by ICRF accelerated protons, is identified as a source for producing the excess neutron emission. This reaction is endothermic and has a proton energy threshold of about I MeV and a peak cross-section at about 3.0 MeV. The presence of protons with such high energies is detected in gamma ray and high energy neutral particle analyser measurements and is also confirmed by ICRF modelling with the PION code. The fast proton energy content and the pT fusion reactivity as simulated by the PION code are compared with the experimental measurements when classical slowing down and confinement of ICRF accelerated protons are assumed in the simulations.