Double Curl Beltrami FlowDiamagnetic Structures

S.M. Mahajan
Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712 USA
and
Z. Yoshida
Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo
Hongo, Tokyo 113, Japan
May 19, 1998
Abstract
It is shown that in an ideal coupled magnetouid, the equilibrium magnetic (veloc-
ity) eld is described by a two-parameter, double curl ( ) system of equations.
The new system allows, amongst others, a novel, fully diamagnetic, pressure conning,
minimum [B[ conguration with velocity elds comparable (in appropriate units) to
the magnetic elds.
The coupling between the magnetic eld and the ow velocity (through the nonlinear
induction eect and its reciprocal Lorentz force) tends to impart considerable complexity
to magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). In spite of this complexity, MHD does allow regular
and ordered behavior. An example is the appearance of the equilibrium magnetic eld (B)
satisfying the Beltrami condition,
B = B, (1)
when the ow energy can be neglected. Here, is a scalar eld that must satisfy B = 0
to insure B = 0. The Beltrami magnetic eld represents a stationary (no-ow) force-free
1
(the Lorentz force J B = (c/4)(B) B 0) macroscopic plasma state. Woltjer [1]
derived (1) by minimizing the magnetic energy with the constraint that the local magnetic
helicity is conserved. Taylor [2] introduced the far-reaching concept of relaxation: he
conjectured that a small amount of resistivity present in a realistic plasma would tend to
relax all the local helicity constraints leaving only the conservation of global helicity intact.
The minimization of the eld energy with the global constraint, then, leads to the relaxed
state characterized by a spatially homogeneous in (1), i.e., a constant- Beltrami eld.
The aim of this paper is to show that a more adequate formulation of the plasma dynam-
ics allows a much wider class of special equilibrium solutions. The set of new solutions con-
tains eld congurations which can be qualitatively dierent from the constant--Beltrami
magnetic elds (which are naturally included in the set). The larger new set may help us
understand a variety of structures generated in plasmas. It also opens up the possibility of
experimenting with altogether dierent congurations some of which may lead to a novel
regime of high-pressure plasma connement.
When electron inertia is neglected, the normalized two-uid equations with arbitrary
ows can be written as
E +
v
e
B
c
=
1
n
(p
e
+ g
e
) (2)
v
i
t

e
M
E v
i

_
e
Mc
B+v
i
_
=
1
Mn

_
p
i
+ g
i
+
v
2
i
2
_
(3)
where v
i
(v
e
), and p
i
(p
e
) are respectively the ion (electron) velocity and pressure, M is the
ion mass, n is the constant particle density, and g
i
(g
e
) represent all other gradient forces
including an externally applied electrostatic eld. To derive (2) and (3), we have used the
vector identity v
i
v
i
= (v
2
i
/2) v
i
( v
i
). In order to write (2) and (3) simply,
and fully in terms of the uid velocity V = (mv
e
+ Mv
i
)/(m + M) v
i
, and the magnetic
eld B, we aect the following changes: Writing E = (1/c)A/t [where A is the vector
potential ( A = B)], v
i
= V, v
e
= VJ/ne = V(c/4ne) B (using Amperes law),
2
and then normalizing B to some arbitrary B
0
, V to the Alfven speed v
A
= B
0
/

4Mn, the
space and time scales respectively to the ion skin depth
i
= c/
pi
= c(4n
0
e
2
/M)
1/2
, and
the cyclotron time
c
= (Mc/eB
0
), we obtain
A
t
(V B) B = (
e
+ g
e
) (4)

t
(A+V) V(B+V) =
_

i
+ g
i
+
1
2
V
2
_
(5)
where
i
and
e
are the ion and electron pressures normalized to B
2
0
/4, and g
i
( g
e
) are the
normalized gradient forces. To derive (4) and (5), we have also assumed that the particle
density is spatially uniform. Our intention, in this letter, is to concentrate on an algebraically
simple system to delineate new and interesting physics. The eects of electron inertia, non-
uniform density etc., will be dealt with in a forthcoming detailed publication.
Taking the curl of these equations, we can cast them in a revealing symmetric form

t

j
(U
j

j
) = 0 (6)
in terms of a pair of generalized vorticities

1
= B,
2
= B+ V, (7)
and eective velocities,
U
1
= V B, U
2
= V. (8)
The rst equation is the induction equation with the dierence that we do not neglect
B ( J) with respect to V as is often done in MHD. This departure from the standard
oneuid treatment is crucial; it is the source of the B term in Eq. (11), and hence of
the possible diamagnetic structures. The second equation is the Lorentz force equation which
also includes the standard uid force V(V). Let us introduce

U
j
= U
j

j

j
(j =
1, 2), and rewrite (6) as

t

j
(

U
j

j
) = 0 (j = 1, 2), (9)
3
where
1
and
2
are scale parameters that can be considered as intensives in a possible
thermodynamic interpretation (to be discussed later). The simplest equilibrium solution to
(9) is

U
j
= 0(j = 1, 2), or equivalently the system of linear equations in B and V (a = 1/
1
and b = 1/
2
)
B = a(VB),
B+V = bV,
(10)
which describes, explicitly, the strong coupling between the magnetic and the uid aspects of
the plasma. It is from this coupling that new physics is expected to arise. Equations (10) can
be combined to yield, in either V or B, the second order partial dierential ( = b (1/a)
and = 1 b/a)
(B) B+ B = 0, (11)
which, will, naturally lead to magnetic eld (and ow velocity) structures far richer than the
ones contained in the constant- Beltrami-Taylor (BT) system.
The equilibrium solution (10), when substituted into (2) and (3) leads to the Bernoulli
conditions (
e
+ g
e
) = 0 = (
i
+g
i
+V
2
/2) suggesting a mechanism for creating pressure
() gradients in this extended relaxed state. In the simplest case ( g
1
= 0 = g
e
),

i
+
1
2
V
2
= constant (12)
revealing that an appropriate sheared velocity eld can sustain a desired ion pressure gra-
dient. Equations (10)(11) will serve as a basis for designing a highly eective plasma
connement machine.
Before investigating the explicit solutions of (11), we would like to make the following
comments:
(1) The set of equations (10) can be derived by following the Taylor prescription of relaxed
equilibria applied to (9). It is straightforward to show that with appropriate boundary
conditions, there are two bilinear constants of motion, the usual total magnetic helicity
4
h
1
=
1
2
_
A Bd
3
x, and the generalized helicity h
2
=
1
2
_
(A + V) (B + V)d
3
x
(or any appropriate combination of h
1
and h
2
) [4]. Minimization of the total energy E =
1
2
_
_
B
2
+ V
2
_
d
3
x with the constraints of constant h
1
and h
2
will directly lead us to (10).
The constants a and b are related to the Lagrange multipliers needed in the constrained
minimization. We recently found that Steinhauer and Ishida [5] have developed a similar
procedure for dealing with the magnetouids.
(2) The general steady-state solution allowed by (9) consists of a set of nonlinear equations
U
j
= A
j
(x)
j
, and
j
A
j
(x) = 0 (j = 1, 2). The linear equilibrium solution (10) is
the special case where A
j
(x)
j
= constant (j = 1, 2). In a thermodynamic sense, the
spatially inhomogeneous (homogeneous) A
j
imply a nonequilibrium (equilibrium) state. The
latter corresponds to the Euler-Lagrange equations associated with the global free energy
F = E

j

j
h
j
with
j
acting as Lagrange multipliers. The system can be viewed as
a grand-canonical ensemble in which the injection of a helicity h
j
creates an equivalent
energy
j
h
j
. The equations then follow as the global relaxed state.
Before writing down some highly revealing solutions, we analyze the mathematical struc-
ture of the double Beltrami ow (11). We rewrite it in the form
(
+
)(

)B = 0. (13)
where

= [

2
4/2]. At the boundary of the three-dimensional bounded domain
, we assume n B = 0, n (B) = 0, n (B) = 0, where n is the unit normal
vector onto . The rst and second conditions, respectively, imply that the magnetic eld
and the electric current are conned in . The third condition follows, for smooth solutions,
from the rst and second conditions and (13). If is simply connected (like a ball), the
boundary value problem (13)(14) has nontrivial solution (B , 0 in ), only if at least one
of

belongs to the point spectrum (set of eigenvalues) associated with the self-adjoint part
of the curl operator. The point spectrum is a discrete set of real numbers [3], which we
5
denote by
p
(curl). When is multiply connected (like a toroid), however,
+
and

can
take arbitrary real values (and, more over, complex values) for (13)(14) to have nontrivial
solutions. In what follows, we consider a multiply connected domain , and assume that

does not belong to

p
(curl). If be the topological genus (rst Betti number) of (a simple
toroidal domain has = 1), the boundary value problem (13)(14) will have 2 degrees of
freedom characterized as follows. Let S

( = 1, , ) be the cuts of such that

=1
S

becomes a simply connected domain. On each cut, we dene uxes (currents)

=
_
S

n B ds,
J

=
_
S

n (B) ds ( = 1, , ), (14)
where n is the unit normal vector onto S

and ds is the surface element on S

. By the
divergence-free property of B and B, together with (14), these uxes are homotopy
invariants with respect to S

, i.e., they are unchanged when S

is modied as far as its

topological place is unchanged. For a given set of values
B
1
, ,
B

,
J
1
, ,
J

, we can
solve (13)(14) uniquely, and if at least one of these values is non-zero, the solution B is
nontrivial (, 0) [6]. This assertion can be derived by generalizing Theorem 2 of Yoshida-
Giga [3]. Detailed proof will be given elsewhere.
The magnetic (velocity) elds described by (13) have two characteristic length scales (
1

)
determined by the amounts of helicity and of generalized helicity [manifested through the
values of (a, b) and hence of (, )] present in the system. The consequences of two inherent
scales are best illustrated by studying the explicit solutions of (13) in simple coordinate
systems. An obvious choice would have been the generalization of the well-known cartesian
three-dimensional ABC ow. In spite of its tremendous interest, however, we concentrate,
in this paper, on the one-dimensional cylindrical system. The cylinder should be seen as
the limiting case of a large aspect ratio torus. We choose this example because the main
message of this paper is to show that new and exciting, high-pressure conning, highly
compact magnetic congurations can be created in the laboratory.
6
With boundary conditions, B
z
(r = 0) = B
0
1, and J
z
= (B)
z
(r = 0) = s, Eq. (13)
yields
B
t
= (
+

)
1
(S

)J
0
(
+
r) (S
+
)J
0
(

r) ,
B
p
= (
+

)
1
(S

)J
1
(
+
r) (S
+
)J
1
(

r) ,
(15)
where J
0
and J
1
are the ordinary Bessel functions, and we have chosen to write B
z()
as B
t(p)
where t(p) stands for toroidal (poloidal). The rest of this paper is an exploration of (15).
Let us begin by deriving from (15), the well-known solutions for the reversed eld
pinch [2]; the solutions which are seen as a display of the remarkable property of the plasma
to organize itself. We remind the reader that the B-T type of solutions (V 0) are char-
acterized by a single real valued scale parameter. From (10) and (11)), we see that the limit
b [[ b
1
with b (or equivalently b, b b/a) produces the desired result
B = (B/a). Notice, however, that this is a singular limit of Eq. (11); the highest
derivative term (B) has been neglected!
The inescapable conclusion, therefore, is that even a small velocity eld could cause
singular perturbations to the owless magnetic eld structures. For a large nite b (and
moderate [a[ [b[),
+
b and

a
1
implying that the magnetic eld [Eq. (15)]
varies not only on the moderate scale [a[ but also on the ner scale [b[
1
. This latter part,
unless dissipated by nite resistivity, should emerge as a wavy part superimposed upon a
moderately smooth part. This feature should be common to most magnetouid equilibria
and will be dealt with elsewhere.
There does exist a unique situation, however, when the fast component may disappear.
If the boundary value J
z
(r = 0) = s were exactly equal to

, then (15) tells us that the

highly-varying part of B
t
and B
p
will vanish, and we would be left with only the smooth part
characterized by the scale a
1
. Here we see a glimpse of how a smooth magnetic eld could
emerge (as it seems to do, for example, in a reversed eld pinch) in a system with nonzero
ow. Aided, perhaps, by turbulence, the system may organize itself in such a way that the
7
central current acquires the needed correct value. In Fig. 1, we can see an example of such
a smooth equilibrium. The size of the system is 10
i
( 25 cm for n 10
14
). The velocity
elds are small but not negligible. This conguration produces very insignicant pressure
connement by the Bernoulli mechanism.
The most interesting and novel aspects of (15) emerge, when the term (B) plays
a fundamental role; that is when both terms of (15) are in full play. (This happens when [B[
and [V [ are comparable.) For this regime, we shall present two representative cases. The
system size is taken to be 2
i
, and the edge
i
(r = 2) = 0. The parameters were so chosen
that the toroidal current prole follows the beta prole (so that the current can be ohmically
driven), and V
t
(r = 0) = 0. The latter was done to optimize central beta. In the rst case
[Fig. 2],

are real, while in the second case [Fig. 3], they are a complex conjugate pair
(even for complex
+
,

+
, the physical quantities B
t
, B
p
... remain real). For both of
these examples, we notice:
1. the magnetic eld increase away from the center [B
t
(r = 0) = 1];
2. The magnitude of the velocity eld (refer to the right vertical axis], normalized to the
central Alfven speed, is sizeable, and is monotonically increasing;
3. the congurations through the Bernoulli mechanism [Eq. (11))]; produce excellent and
almost identical pressure connements [Fig. 4] with a central
i
1.25.
Notice that for the Bernoulli condition Eq. (11), the standard oneuid model, is perfectly
adequate if the ow energy is not neglected. However, for the Bernoulli mechanism to provide
plasma connement, the velocity elds must increase away from the plasma center. This
becomes generally possible when the term proportional to J B (absent in oneuid
models) is retained in U
1
[Eq. (6)].
It follows then, that by the strong coupling of the uid-kinetic and magnetic aspects of
the plasma, a highly conning, fully diamagnetic (elds in plasma are everywhere smaller
8
than the edge plasmas), and everywhere minimum [B[ conguration [this will persist even in
a large aspect ratio torus as long as the 1/R variation is less than the dierence B
edge
B(0)]
can naturally emerge for a very compact plasma.
These highly compact diamagnetic structures with scale length of a few
i
, which require
strong plasma ows, deserve a thorough investigation. Being the states of lowest free energy,
they are expected to be MHD stable. We believe that these congurations point to a pos-
sible new path in our quest for controlled thermonuclear fusion. A tentative theoreticians
machine-design is being work on.
Discussions with Dr. Prashant Valanju are acknowledged. This work was supported by
the U.S. Dept. of Energy Contract No. DE-FG03-96ER-54346.
9
References
[1] L. Woltjer, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 44, 489 (1958).
[2] J. B. Taylor, Phys. Rev. Lett. 33, 1139 (1974); Rev. Mod. Phys. 58, 741 (1986).
[3] Z. Yoshida and Y. Giga, Math. Z. 204, 235 (1990).
[4] For a vorticity , the helicity is dened as h
j
=
1
2
_
(curl
1
) d
3
x, where curl
1
is the inverse operator of the curl that is represented by the Biot-Savart integral. We
choose the sign in an appropriate way.
[5] L. C. Steinhauer and A. Ishida, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 3423 (1997).
[6] If one of
+
and

belongs to the point spectrum

p
(curl), we cannot assign independent
values to the uxes
B

,
J

( = 1, c . . . ). For example, if
+

p
(curl), we must
assume
J

= 0 ( = 1, c . . . ). Therefore, the degree of freedom becomes .

If both
+
and

belong to
p
(curl), we must assume
J

=
B

= 0 ( = 1, c . . . ),
and hence, the degree of freedom is zero. Indeed, the nontrivial solution is given by the
two eigenfunctions of the self-adjoint curl operator, which carry no ux through every
cross-section of the domain.
10
FIGURE CAPTIONS
FIG. 1. A radial plot of B
t
, B
p
(left vertical axis) and V
t
, V
p
(right vertical axis). The system
size is 10
i
and B
t
(r = 0) = 1. The parameters are a = 4.4, b = 60, and s = .2440,
implying
+
= 59.98 and

= .2440. s was chosen to be equal to

to eliminate
the fast-varying component.
FIG. 2. A radial plot of B
t
, B
p
(left vertical axis) and V
t
, V
p
(right vertical axis). The system
size is 2
i
, B
t
(r = 0), the velocity is measured in units of the central Alfven speed.
The parameters are a = 1.9, b = 1.5, and s = 0.52, implying
+
= 0.64 and

= 0.32.
FIG. 3. A radial plot of B
t
, B
p
(left vertical axis) and V
t
, V
p
(right vertical axis). The system
size is 2
i
, B
t
(r = 0) = 1, the velocity is measured in units of central Alfven speed.
The parameters are a = 2, b = 1.4, and s = 0.5, implying

= 0.45 0.31i.
FIG. 4. A radial plot of
i
for cases displayed in Figs. 2 and 3. The toroidal current (not
shown) follows the pressure prole.
11