The Virtual-casing Principle For 3D Toroidal Systems
Authors: S.A. Lazerson
Abstract: The capability to calculate the magnetic field due to the plasma currents in a toroidally
confined magnetic fusion equilibrium is of manifest relevance to equilibrium reconstruction
and stellarator divertor design. Two methodologies arise for calculating such quantities. The
first being a volume integral over the plasma current density for a given equilibrium. Such an
integral is computationally expensive. The second is a surface integral over a surface current
on the equilibrium boundary. This method is computationally desirable as the calculation does
not grow as the radial resolution of the volume integral. This surface integral method has come
to be known as the "virtual-casing principle". In this paper, a full derivation of this method is
presented along with a discussion regarding its optimal application.
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Submitted to: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (September 2012)
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Download PPPL-4993 (pdf KB pp)
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