Bennett Vorticity: A family of nonlinear Shear-Flow Stabilized Z-pinch equilibria

Abstract

Plasma equilibria are typically treated as arising from distinct mechanisms across different regimes. Here we demonstrate that a single analytic axial flow profile, obtained by exchanging the Bennett nonlinearity from density to flow, generates a family of shear-flow stabilized Z-pinch equilibria in which the properties are determined directly by the flow. This analytic profile reconstructs the axial velocity, and magnetic structure of shear-flow stabilized fusion plasma experiments, reproduces the spatial structure of emission intensity in the front, wake, and needletip structures of an air plasma streamer head, and the current density of a toroidal pre-ELM edge pedestal. Explorations of nanoscale observables illustrate both the reach and limitations of the ideal model, while the emergence of sawtooth structures when multiple of these profiles are chained together further supports its internal consistency. These results suggest a common shear-organized component across disparate regimes, with potential implications for both laboratory and natural plasmas.