Magnetic topology of a candidate NCSX plasma boundary configuration

Abstract

A candidate magnetic topology of the plasma boundary of the proposed compact stellarator national compact stellarator experiment (NCSX) is investigated using field-line tracing with diffusion. The required magnetic fields are obtained from a free-boundary equilibrium using the magnetic fields from external coils and bootstrap plasma currents inside the last closed magnetic surface (LCMS). These results are used to calculate the magnetic fields of the finite beta equilibria inside and outside the LCMS in a form suitable for field-line tracing. Poincaré plots of field lines that diffuse outwards from starting points just inside the LCMS indicate an ergodic divertor region. Intersections of field lines with a simple limiting surface show contained patches suitable for divertor control. Undesirable regions of sharply inclined angle of intersection with the limiting surface are localized, indicating the suitability of the configuration for optimized divertor design techniques. We also discuss physics implications of field-line lengths in the divertor region.