Stochastic single-stage stellarator optimization using fixed-boundary equilibria

Abstract

In this paper, single-stage stellarator optimization is combined with stochastic coil optimization to improve the robustness of the stellarator as compared to deterministic methods. The plasma boundary, solved with an MHD solver in fixed-boundary mode, is linked to a set of randomly perturbed coils via the squared flux. The optimizer avoids sharp local minima and can reach improved configurations. Two different configurations obtained with our method, one quasi-axisymmetric and one quasi-helically symmetric, are compared against both the standard stochastic stage II method and the single-stage method. The new configurations shown here yield improved squared flux, quasisymmetry, and particle loss following a posteriori perturbation of the coils.