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Researchers have constructed a special class of three-dimensional plasma equilibria that exhibit closed, nested toroidal magnetic surfaces with strong asymmetry in the toroidal direction. By applying sinusoidal perturbations to the axisymmetric Solov'ev equilibrium, they created configurations with pressure anisotropy that show distinct nested current-density surfaces, and for certain parameters, magnetic islands and chaotic regions in the outer plasma while maintaining well-defined surfaces in the inner region. The study also demonstrates that uniform magnetic field strength surfaces (isomagnetic surfaces) are neither necessary nor sufficient conditions for the existence of closed nested magnetic surfaces.
Why it matters
This work advances understanding of three-dimensional magnetic confinement configurations in fusion plasmas, which is critical for designing next-generation fusion reactors. The findings about the relationship between isomagnetic surfaces and magnetic surfaces could inform optimization strategies for plasma containment in stellarators and other non-axisymmetric fusion devices.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
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Abstract: We construct a special class of three-dimensional (3D) equilibria with pressure anisotropy which showcase closed, nested toroidal magnetic surfaces that are strongly asymmetric in the toroidal direction by applying a sinusoidal perturbation to the axisymmetric Solov’ev equilibrium. They also exhibit distinct closed and nested current-density surfaces. For certain values of the free parameters involved, the perturbations lead to the formation of magnetic islands and stochastic areas in the outer plasma region, while well-defined magnetic surfaces persist in the inner region. In addition, it is demonstrated that the existence of closed and nested surfaces within the plasma region on which the magnetic field modulus is uniform (isomagnetic surfaces) is neither necessary nor sufficient for the existence of respective closed and nested magnetic surfaces.