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Equilibrium and stability code for a diffuse plasma
1Energy Research and Development Administration Mathematics and Computing Laboratory, New York University, New York, N.Y. 10012.
Summary
A new computer code analyzes plasma stability using magnetohydrodynamics and finite element methods. It determines plasma equilibrium and stability by finding minimum energy states in a 3D model.
Area of Science:
- Computational physics
- Plasma physics
- Magnetohydrodynamics
Background:
- Investigating plasma equilibrium and stability is crucial for fusion energy.
- Previous models often used simplified sharp free boundary conditions.
- A more generalized approach is needed for diffuse plasma behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and describe a novel 3D computer code for analyzing diffuse plasma equilibrium and stability.
- To generalize existing magnetohydrodynamic variational principles for complex plasma geometries.
- To establish a computational framework for predicting plasma stability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a generalized variational principle of magnetohydrodynamics.
- Employed a mapping technique from a fixed coordinate domain to the plasma.
- Applied the finite element method for discrete approximation of potential energy.
- Minimized the discrete energy analogue using a rectangular grid.
Main Results:
- The developed code successfully models toroidal plasma equilibria.
- The method identifies stable equilibria by finding relative minima in the discrete energy analogue.
- The approach generalizes prior work on sharp free boundary plasma models.
Conclusions:
- The finite element-based computational approach provides a robust method for assessing diffuse plasma stability.
- The code offers a valuable tool for understanding complex plasma behavior in three dimensions.
- This work advances the study of magnetohydrodynamic stability in fusion research.