Eigenvalue problems for Beltrami fields arising in a three-dimensional toroidal magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium problem

Abstract

A generalized energy principle for finite-pressure, toroidal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibria in general three-dimensional configurations is proposed. The full set of ideal-MHD constraints is applied only on a discrete set of toroidal magnetic surfaces (invariant tori), which act as barriers against leakage of magnetic flux, helicity, and pressure through chaotic field-line transport. It is argued that a necessary condition for such invariant tori to exist is that they have fixed, irrational rotational transforms. In the toroidal domains bounded by these surfaces, full Taylor relaxation is assumed, thus leading to Beltrami fields ∇×B= λB, where λ is constant within each domain. Two distinct eigenvalue problems for λ arise in this formulation, depending on whether fluxes and helicity are fixed, or boundary rotational transforms. These are studied in cylindrical geometry and in a three-dimensional toroidal region of annular cross section. In the latter case, an application of a residue criterion is used to determine the threshold for connected chaos. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.