Constructing the space of quasisymmetric stellarators through near-axis expansion

Abstract

Abstract A simplified view of the space of optimised stellarators has the potential to guide and aid the design efforts of magnetic confinement configurations suitable for future fusion reactors. We present one such view for the class of quasisymmetric stellarators based on their approximate description near their centre (magnetic axis). The result is a space that captures existing designs and presents new ones, providing a common framework to study them. Such a simplified construction offers a basic topological approach, guided by certain theoretical and physical choices, which this paper presents in detail.