Electromagnetic torque on the toroidal plasma and the error-field induced torque

Abstract

The electromagnetic torque on the toroidal plasma is calculated assuming a linear plasma response to the applied perturbation, which may be the error field or the field created by the correction coils, or both. The result is compared with recently published expressions for the error field induced torque (Zheng et al 2006 Nucl. Fusion 46 L9, Zheng and Kotschenreuther 2006 Phys. Rev. Lett. 97 165001), and the conclusions of these papers are revised. We resolve the problem of the torque resonance raised there. It is shown that the strong increase in the torque due to the static error field must occur at the resistive wall mode stability limit and not at the no-wall stability limit.