Electron root optimisation for stellarator reactor designs

Abstract

In this work, we propose a method of optimising stellarator devices to favour the presence of an electron root solution of the radial electric field. Such a solution can help avoid heavy impurity accumulation, improve neoclassical thermal ion confinement and helium ash exhaust and possibly reduce turbulence. This study shows that an optimisation for such a root is possible in quasi-isodynamic stellarators. Examples are shown for both vacuum and finite plasma pressure configurations.