An Introduction To Stellarators

An Introduction to Stellarators

This self-contained book is the first to provide readers with an introduction to the mathematical foundations of stellarator design and modeling. It covers the fundamental theoretical building blocks of modeling magnetic fields, some of the associated challenges, and the main concepts behind optimization for the design of stellarators. The book is divided into two parts, with Part I providing a general introduction to the stellarator concept and Part II describing mathematical models and numerical methods commonly used in stellarator design. The authors derive, present, and discuss relevant models, using equations and figures to demonstrate the main ideas. They carefully select language that is close to the plasma physics literature, while providing enough details to be accessible to a reader without previous background in this field. An Introduction to Stellarators: From Magnetic Fields to Symmetries and Optimization is intended for mathematicians, physicists, and engineers interested in learning about stellarators. Readers are expected to have a basic knowledge of classical physics, partial differential equations, and variational calculus, but prior knowledge of plasma physics is not required.

Stellarator and Heliotron Devices

This monograph describes plasma physics for magnetic confinement of high temperature plasmas in nonaxisymmetric toroidal magnetic fields or stellarators. The techniques are aimed at controlling nuclear fusion for continuous energy production. While the focus is on the nonaxisymmetric toroidal field, or heliotron, developed at Kyoto University, the physics applies equally to other stellarators and axisymmetric tokamaks. The author covers all aspects of magnetic confinement, formation of magnetic surfaces, magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and stability, single charged particle confinement, neoclassical transport and plasma heating. He also reviews recent experiments and the prospects for the next generation of devices.

A New Model for Plasma Confinement Times in Stellarators