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arXiv · 1902.01672

Optimized quasisymmetric stellarators are consistent with the Garren-Boozer construction

Matt Landreman
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Abstract

Most quasisymmetric stellarators to date have been designed by numerically optimizing the plasma boundary shape to minimize symmetry-breaking Fourier modes of the magnetic field strength $B$. At high aspect ratio, a faster approach is to directly construct the plasma shape from the equations of quasisymmetry near the magnetic axis derived by Garren and Boozer [Phys Fluids B 3, 2805 (1991)]. Here we show that the core shape and rotational transform of many optimization-based configurations can be accurately described by this direct-construction approach. This consistency supports use of the near-axis construction as an accurate analytical model for modern stellarator configurations.

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Matt Landreman. 2019-02-05. Optimized quasisymmetric stellarators are consistent with the Garren-Boozer construction. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ab19f6

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