Some magnetohydrodynamic free boundary equilibria

Abstract

An iterative computational method of solving certain axially symmetric free boundary problems is presented. At each step of the iteration, the boundary is displaced closer to the equilibrium position by an amount proportional to the unbalanced force acting on the boundary. The method is used to find the behavior of a tokamak plasma in adiabatic compression under a uniform vertical field. Also, the Princeton adiabatic toroidal compressor is simulated and a comparison of the results is given.