Progress on a fast and robust solver for ideal MHD stability in stellarator geometry

In this work, we present progress towards the development of a new code written in the Julia programming language for evaluating global (linear) ideal MHD stability in stellarator geometry. We demonstrate the code’s efficiency and robustness which is achieved through leveraging methods provided by high-performance mathematical libraries from the Julia community, such as matrix-free methods. The code builds on modern scientific program design practices to create a consistent application interface for use with various equilibrium representations, rather than being tied to a single, specific representation.

Efficient and accurate evaluation of linear ideal MHD stability is a crucial step in the design and analysis process for optimizing stellarator configurations for fusion energy. The linear ideal MHD stability problem can be expressed as a generalized eigenvalue problem involving the ideal MHD force operator. For strongly shaped 3D configurations such as stellarators, this problem must be solved numerically. By developing a new numerical tool for evaluating global (linear) ideal MHD stability in stellarator geometry, we make a vital contribution to the process of optimizing stellarator configurations for fusion energy.