Confining and escaping magnetic field lines in tokamaks: Analysis via symplectic maps

Abstract

In magnetically confined plasma, it is possible to qualitatively describe the magnetic field configuration via phase spaces of suitable symplectic maps. These phase spaces are of mixed type, where chaos coexists with regular motion, and the complete understanding of the complex dynamical evolution of chaotic trajectories is a challenge that, when overcome, may provide further knowledge into the behaviour of confined fusion plasma. This work presents two numerical investigations into characteristics of mixed phase spaces which model distinct magnetic configurations in tokamaks under different perturbation regimes. The first approach relies on a recurrence-based analysis of ensembles of chaotic trajectories to detect open field lines that widely differ from the average. The second focuses on the transient dynamical behaviour of field lines before they escape the systems. These two methods provide insights into the influence of stickiness and invariant manifolds on the evolution of chaotic trajectories, improving our understanding of how these features affect transport and diffusion properties in mixed phase spaces. These theoretical and numerical approaches may enhance our comprehension of confined plasma behaviour and plasma-wall interactions.