On local geometric properties of a tokamak equilibrium

Abstract

To separate the complexities in plasma physics and geometric effects, compact formulas for local geometric properties of a tokamak equilibrium are presented in this paper. They are written in a form similar to the Frenet formulas. All of the geometric quantities are expressed in terms of curvature and torsion of the three spatial curves for the moving local frame of reference, i.e., local orthogonal vector basis. In this representation, the local magnetic shear and the normalized parallel current are just the differences between two torsions of the vector basis. All of the geometric properties are coordinate invariants and form a prime set of quantities for describing tokamak plasma equilibrium. This prime set can be evaluated in both flux coordinates with closed flux surfaces and cylindrical coordinates including areas with open field lines, which may allow the extension of some analysis on the open field lines outside the last closed surface. Fundamental differential operators for stability and transport studies can be expressed explicitly in terms of these geometric properties. It can also be used to simplify analytic studies.