Non-axisymmetric equilibrium reconstruction of a current-carrying stellarator using external magnetic and soft x-ray inversion radius measurements

Abstract

Non-axisymmetric free-boundary equilibrium reconstructions of stellarator plasmas are performed for discharges in which the magnetic configuration is strongly modified by ohmically driven plasma current. These studies were performed on the compact toroidal hybrid device using the V3FIT reconstruction code with a set of 50 magnetic diagnostics external to the plasma. With the assumption of closed magnetic flux surfaces, the reconstructions using external magnetic measurements allow accurate estimates of the net toroidal flux within the last closed flux surface, the edge safety factor, and the plasma shape of these highly non-axisymmetric plasmas. The inversion radius of standard saw-teeth is used to infer the current profile near the magnetic axis; with external magnetic diagnostics alone, the current density profile is imprecisely reconstructed. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.