Magnetic Force-Free Configurations for Thermonuclear Fusion

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Scientific Paper
Title Magnetic Force-Free Configurations for Thermonuclear Fusion
Author(s) [[]]
Keywords force-free, spheromak, MHD theory
Published 1988
Journal Physics Essays
Volume 1
Number 2
Pages 92-101

Abstract

The definition and properties of magnetic force-free states are analyzed rigorously. Actually, two inequivalent models are traditionally confused in describing force-free configurations. The existence of an external current as well as other arguments preclude the magnetic field in either model from being a solution of <img border="0" alt="[del]-vector " align="bottom" src="http://physicsessays.aip.org/servlet/GetImg?key=PHESEM000001000002000092000001%3A0%3A0%3A28&t=a&d=a" /> ? <img border="0" alt="a-vector " align="bottom" src="http://physicsessays.aip.org/servlet/GetImg?key=PHESEM000001000002000092000001%3A0%3A1%3A28&t=a&d=a" /> = k<img border="0" alt="a-vector " align="bottom" src="http://physicsessays.aip.org/servlet/GetImg?key=PHESEM000001000002000092000001%3A0%3A2%3A28&t=a&d=a" />. Topological and geometrical considerations determine the general type of magnetic field corresponding to a plasma in a sphere or compact torus and correct some long-standing errors. Magnetic flux conversion, observed in the spheromak and in the reversed-field pinch, follows from the principle of energy equipartition between orthogonal magnetic modes. These results suggest that the present-day theoretical conception of stable plasma equilibria may be based upon several fundamental misunderstandings.