Modelling the nonlinear plasma response to externally applied three-dimensional fields with the Stepped Pressure Equilibrium Code

Small-amplitude, symmetry-breaking magnetic field perturbations, including resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) and error fields, can profoundly impact plasma properties in both tokamaks and stellarators. In this work, we perform the first comparison between the Stepped Pressure Equilibrium Code (SPEC) (a comparatively fast and efficient equilibrium code based on energy-minimisation principles) and M3D-C1 (a high-fidelity albeit computationally expensive initial-value extended-magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code) to assess the conditions under which SPEC can be used to model the nonlinear, non-ideal plasma response to an externally applied (m = 2, n = 1) RMP field in an experimentally relevant geometry. We find that SPEC is able to capture the plasma response in the weakly nonlinear regime - meaning perturbation amplitudes below the threshold for break up of the separatrix and onset of secondary magnetic island formation - when around half of the total toroidal flux is enclosed in the volume containing the q = 2 resonant surface. The observed dependence of SPEC solutions on input parameters, including toroidal flux and the number of volumes into which the plasma is partitioned, indicates that additional exploration of the underlying Multi-Region Relaxed MHD physics model is needed to constrain the choice of parameters. Nonetheless, this work suggests promising applications of SPEC to optimisation and fusion plasma design.