A primer on Fourier Series
This is a textbook on Fourier Series, suitable for both undergraduate and graduate courses. The textbook is endowed with exercises, and full solutions are provided at the end of the book.
math.AP↗
arXiv subjects
David Pfefferlé
Publications and source records attributed to David Pfefferlé.
Asymmetry of curl eigenfields solving Woltjer's variational problem
We construct families of rotationally symmetric toroidal domains in $\mathbb R^3$ for which the eigenfields associated to the first (positive) Ampèrian curl eigenvalue are symmetric, and others for which no first eigenfield is symmetric. This implies, in particular, that minimizers of the celebrated Woltjer's variational principle do not need to inherit the rotational symmetry of the domain. This disproves the folk wisdom that the eigenfields corresponding to the lowest curl eigenvalue must be symmetric if the domain is.
math-ph↗
Global realisation of magnetic fields as 1$\frac{1}{2}$D Hamiltonian systems
The paper reviews the notion of $n+\frac{1}{2}$D non-autonomous Hamiltonian systems, portraying their dynamics as the flow of the Reeb field related to a closed two-form of maximal rank on a cosymplectic manifold, and naturally decomposing into time-like and Hamiltonian components. The paper then investigates the conditions under which the field-line dynamics of a (tangential) divergence-free vector field on a connected compact three-manifold (possibly with boundary) diffeomorphic to a trivial fibre bundle over the circle can be conversely identified as a non-autonomous $1\frac{1}{2}$D Hamiltonian system. Under the assumption that the field is transverse to a global compact Poincaré section, an adaptation of Moser's trick shows that all such fields are locally-Hamiltonian. A full identification is established upon further assuming that the Poincaré sections are planar, which crucially implies (together with Dirichlet boundary conditions) that the cohomology class of the generating closed one-forms on each section is constant. By reviewing the classification of fibre bundles over the circle using the monodromy representation, it is remarked that as soon as the Poincaré section of an alleged field is diffeomorphic to a disk or an annulus, the domain is necessarily diffeomorphic to a solid or hollow torus, and thus its field-line dynamics can always be identified as a non-autonomous Hamiltonian system.
math-ph↗
Structure-preserving particle methods for the Landau collision operator using the metriplectic framework
We present a novel family of particle discretisation methods for the nonlinear Landau collision operator. We exploit the metriplectic structure underlying the Vlasov-Maxwell-Landau system in order to obtain disretisation schemes that automatically preserve mass, momentum, and energy, warrant monotonic dissipation of entropy, and are thus guaranteed to respect the laws of thermodynamics. In contrast to recent works that used radial basis functions and similar methods for regularisation, here we use an auxiliary spline or finite element representation of the distribution function to this end. Discrete gradient methods are employed to guarantee the aforementioned properties in the time discrete domain as well.
physics.plasm-ph↗
A structure-preserving particle discretisation for the Lenard-Bernstein collision operator
Collisions are an important dissipation mechanism in plasmas. In one-dimensional modelling, a commonly used collision operator is the Lenard-Bernstein operator, or its modified energy- and momentum-conserving counterpart. When approximating such operators numerically, it is important to respect their structure in order to satisfy the laws of thermodynamics. It is, however, challenging to discretise such operators in a structure-preserving way when considering particle methods. In this work, we present a macro-particle discretisation of the Lenard-Bernstein collision operator that is energy and momentum preserving.
physics.plasm-ph↗
Existence of global symmetries of divergence-free fields with first integrals
The relationship between symmetry fields and first integrals of divergence-free vector fields is explored in three dimensions in light of its relevance to plasma physics and magnetic confinement fusion. A Noether-type Theorem is known: for each such symmetry, there corresponds a first integral. The extent to which the converse is true is investigated. In doing so, a reformulation of this Noether-type Theorem is found for which the converse holds on what is called the toroidal region. Some consequences of the methods presented are quick proofs of the existence of flux coordinates for magnetic fields in high generality; without needing to assume a symmetry such as in the cases of magneto-hydrostatics (MHS) or quasi-symmetry.
math.DG↗
Linearisability of divergence-free fields along invariant 2-tori
We find conditions under which the restriction of a divergence-free vector field $B$ to an invariant toroidal surface $S$ is linearisable. The main results are similar in conclusion to Arnold's Structure Theorems but require weaker assumptions than the commutation $[B,\nabla\times B] = 0$. Relaxing the need for a first integral of $B$ (also known as a flux function), we assume the existence of a solution $u : S \to \mathbb{R}$ to the cohomological equation $B|_S(u) = \partial_n B$ on a toroidal surface $S$ mutually invariant to $B$ and $\nabla \times B$. The right hand side $\partial_n B$ is a normal surface derivative available to vector fields tangent to $S$. In this situation, we show that the field $B$ on $S$ is either identically zero or nowhere vanishing with $B|_S/\|B\|^2 |_S$ being linearisable. We are calling the latter the semi-linearisability of $B$ (with proportionality $\|B\|^2 |_S$). The non-vanishing property relies on Bers' results in pseudo-analytic function theory about a generalised Laplace-Beltrami equation arising from Witten cohomology deformation. With the use of de Rham cohomology, we also point out a Diophantine integral condition where one can conclude that $B|_S$ itself is linearisable. The linearisability of $B|_S$ is fundamental to the so-called magnetic coordinates, which are central to the theory of magnetically confined plasmas.
math.DG↗
Integrability of normal distributions Part 2: Neat foliations by manifolds with boundary
This paper completes the foundations of neatly integrable normal distribution theory on manifolds with boundary. Normal distributions are those which contain vectors transverse to the boundary along its entirety. The theory is observed to be entirely analogous with the theory of integrable distributions on manifolds due to Stefan and Sussmann. The main result is a one-to-one correspondence between so-called neatly integrable normal distributions and neat foliations by manifolds with boundary. Neat foliations are allowed to have non-constant dimension and the leaves have boundary contained in the ambient boundary. The leaves satisfy a characteristic property formally identical to that of weakly embedded submanifolds except in the category of manifolds with boundary.
math.DG↗
A Stefan-Sussmann theorem for normal distributions on manifolds with boundary
An analogue of the Stefan-Sussmann Theorem on manifolds with boundary is proven for normal distributions. These distributions contain vectors transverse to the boundary along its entirety. Plain integral manifolds are not enough to "integrate" a normal distribution; the next best "integrals" are so-called neat integral manifolds with boundary. The conditions on the distribution for this integrability is expressed in terms of adapted collars and integrability of a pulled-back distribution on the interior and on the boundary.
math.DG↗
Quasisymmetric magnetic fields in asymmetric toroidal domains
We explore the existence of quasisymmetric magnetic fields in asymmetric toroidal domains. These vector fields can be identified with a class of magnetohydrodynamic equilibria in the presence of pressure anisotropy. First, using Clebsch potentials, we derive a system of two coupled nonlinear first order partial differential equations expressing a family of quasisymmetric magnetic fields in bounded domains. In regions where flux surfaces and surfaces of constant field strength are not tangential, this system can be further reduced to a single degenerate nonlinear second order partial differential equation with externally assigned initial data. Then, we exhibit regular quasisymmetric vector fields which correspond to local solutions of anisotropic magnetohydrodynamics in asymmetric toroidal domains such that tangential boundary conditions are fulfilled on a portion of the bounding surface. The problems of boundary shape and locality are also discussed. We find that symmetric magnetic fields can be fitted into asymmetric domains, and that the mathematical difficulty encountered in the derivation of global quasisymmetric magnetic fields lies in the topological obstruction toward global extension affecting local solutions of the governing nonlinear first order partial differential equations.
math.AP↗
Combined plasma-coil optimization algorithms
Combined plasma-coil optimization approaches for designing stellarators are discussed and a new method for calculating free-boundary equilibria is proposed. Four distinct categories of stellarator optimization, two of which are novel approaches, are the fixed-boundary optimization, the generalized fixed-boundary optimization, the quasi free-boundary optimization, and the free-boundary (coil) optimization. These are described using the multi-region relaxed magnetohydrodynmics (MRxMHD) energy functional, the Biot-Savart integral, the coil-penalty functional and the virtual casing integral, and their derivatives. The proposed free-boundary equilibrium calculation differs from existing methods in how the boundary-value problem is posed, and for the new approach it seems that there is not an associated energy minimization principle because a non-symmetric functional arises. We propose to solve the weak formulation of this problem using a spectral-Galerkin method, and this will reduce the free-boundary equilibrium calculation to something comparable to a fixed-boundary calculation. In our discussion of combined plasma-coil optimization algorithms, we emphasize the importance of the stability matrix.
physics.plasm-ph↗
WWhittle Maximum Likelihood Estimate of spectral properties of Rayleigh-Taylor interfacial mixing using hot-wire anemometry experimental data
Investigating the power density spectrum of fluctuations in Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) interfacial mixing is a means of studying characteristic length- and time-scales, anisotropies and anomalous processes. Guided by group theory, analysing the invariance-based properties of the fluctuations, our work examines raw time series from hot-wire anemometry measurements in the experiment by Akula et al., JFM 816, 619-660 (2017). The results suggest that the power density spectrum can be modelled as a compound function presented as the product of a power law and an exponential. The data analysis is based on Whittle's approximation of the power density spectrum for independent zero-mean near-Gaussian signals to construct a Maximum likelihood Estimator (MLE) of the parameters. Those that maximise the log-likelihood are computed numerically through Newton-Raphson iteration. The Hessian of the log-likelihood is used to evaluate the Fisher information matrix and provide an estimate of the statistical error on the obtained parameters. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is applied to analyse the goodness-of-fit, by verifying the hypothesis that the ratio between the observed periodogram and the estimated power density spectrum follows a chi-squared probability distribution. The dependence of the parameters of the compound function is investigated on the range of mode numbers over which the fit is performed. In the domain where the relative errors of the power law exponent and the exponential decay rate are small and the goodness-of-fit is excellent, the parameters of the compound function are clearly defined, in agreement with the theory. The study of the power-law spectra in RT mixing data suggests that rigorous physics-based statistical methods can help researchers to see beyond visual inspection.
physics.flu-dyn↗
Energy and momentum conservation in the Euler-Poincaré formulation of local Vlasov-Maxwell-type systems
The action principle by Low [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 248, 282--287] for the classic Vlasov-Maxwell system contains a mix of Eulerian and Lagrangian variables. This renders the Noether analysis of reparametrization symmetries inconvenient, especially since the well-known energy- and momentum-conservation laws for the system are expressed in terms of Eulerian variables only. While an Euler-Poincaré formulation of Vlasov-Maxwell-type systems, effectively starting with Low's action and using constrained variations for the Eulerian description of particle motion, has been known for a while [J. Math. Phys., 39, 6, pp. 3138-3157], it is hard to come by a documented derivation of the related energy- and momentum-conservation laws in the spirit of the Euler-Poincaré machinery. To our knowledge only one such derivation exists in the literature so far, dealing with the so-called guiding-center Vlasov-Darwin system [Phys. Plasmas 25, 102506]. The present exposition discusses a generic class of local Vlasov-Maxwell-type systems, with a conscious choice of adopting the language of differential geometry to exploit the Euler-Poincaré framework to its full extent. After reviewing the transition from a Lagrangian picture to an Eulerian one, we demonstrate how symmetries generated by isometries in space lead to conservation laws for linear- and angular-momentum density and how symmetry by time translation produces a conservation law for energy density. We also discuss what happens if no symmetries exist. Finally, two explicit examples will be given -- the classic Vlasov-Maxwell and the drift-kinetic Vlasov-Maxwell -- and the results expressed in the language of regular vector calculus for familiarity.
physics.plasm-ph↗
Rigidity of MHD equilibria to smooth incompressible ideal motion near resonant surfaces
In ideal MHD, the magnetic flux is advected by the plasma motion, freezing flux-surfaces into the flow. An MHD equilibrium is reached when the flow relaxes and force balance is achieved. We ask what classes of MHD equilibria can be accessed from a given initial state via smooth incompressible ideal motion. It is found that certain boundary displacements are formally not supported. This follows from yet another investigation of the Hahm--Kulsrud--Taylor (HKT) problem, which highlights the resonant behaviour near a rational layer formed by a set of degenerate critical points in the flux-function. When trying to retain the mirror symmetry of the flux-function with respect to the resonant layer, the vector field that generates the volume-preserving diffeomorphism vanishes at the identity to all order in the time-like path parameter.
physics.plasm-ph↗
Gauge freedom in magnetostatics and the effect on helicity in toroidal volumes
Magnetostatics defines a class of boundary value problems in which the topology of the domain plays a subtle role. For example, representability of a divergence-free field as the curl of a vector potential comes about because of homological considerations. With this in mind, we study gauge-freedom in magnetostatics and its effect on the comparison between magnetic configurations through key quantities such as the magnetic helicity. For this, we apply the Hodge decomposition of $k$-forms on compact orientable Riemaniann manifolds with smooth boundary, as well as de Rham cohomology, to the representation of magnetic fields through potential $1$-forms in toroidal volumes. An advantage of the homological approach is the recovery of classical results without explicit coordinates and assumptions about the fields on the exterior of the domain. In particular, a detailed construction of a minimal gauge and a formal proof of relative helicity formulae are presented.
physics.plasm-ph↗
Non-planar elasticae as optimal curves for the magnetic axis of stellarators
The problem of finding an optimal curve for the target magnetic axis of a stellarator is addressed. Euler-Lagrange equations are derived for finite length three-dimensional curves that extremise their bending energy while yielding fixed integrated torsion. The obvious translational and rotational symmetry is exploited to express solutions in a preferred cylindrical coordinate system in terms of elliptic Jacobi functions. These solution curves, which, up to similarity transformations, depend on three dimensionless parameters, do not necessarily close. Two closure conditions are obtained for the vertical and toroidal displacement (the radial coordinate being trivially periodic) to yield a countably infinite set of one-parameter families of closed non-planar curves. The behaviour of the integrated torsion (Twist of the Frenet frame), the Linking of the Frenet frame and the Writhe of the solution curves is studied in light of the \Calugareanu theorem. A refreshed interpretation of Mercier's formula for the on-axis rotational transform of stellarator magnetic field-lines is proposed.
physics.plasm-ph↗
Equivalent elastica knots
The problem of an elastica knot in three-dimensional space is solved explicitly by expressing the Frenet-Serret curvature and torsion of the knot in terms of the Weierstrass and Jacobi elliptic functions. This solution is obtained by variational methods and is derived by minimizing of the squared-curvature energy integral. In the present work, an equivalency is established between pairs of Jacobi elliptic solutions that are described by the same values for curvature and torsion functionals.
math-ph↗
Algebraic motion of vertically displacing plasmas
The vertical motion of a tokamak plasma is analytically modelled during its non-linear phase by a free-moving current-carrying rod inductively coupled to a set of fixed conducting wires or a cylindrical conducting shell. The solutions capture the leading term in a Taylor expansion of the Green's function for the interaction between the plasma column and the surrounding vacuum vessel. The plasma shape and profiles are assumed not to vary during the vertical drifting phase such that the plasma column behaves as a rigid body. In the limit of perfectly conducting structures, the plasma is prevented to come in contact with the wall due to steep effective potential barriers created by the induced Eddy currents. Resistivity in the wall allows the equilibrium point to drift towards the vessel on the slow timescale of flux penetration. The initial exponential motion of the plasma, understood as a resistive vertical instability, is succeeded by a non-linear "sinking" behaviour shown to be algebraic and decelerating. The acceleration of the plasma column often observed in experiments is thus concluded to originate from an early sharing of toroidal current between the core, the halo plasma and the wall or from the thermal quench dynamics precipitating loss of plasma current.
physics.plasm-ph↗