The Floquet exponents of periodic field lines are studied through the variations of the magnetic action on the magnetic axis, which is assumed to be elliptical. The near-axis formalism developed by Mercier, Solov'ev and Shafranov is combined with a Lagrangian approach. The on-axis Floquet exponent is shown to coincide with the on-axis…

A first-order model is derived for quasisymmetric stellarators where the vacuum field due to coils is dominant, but plasma-current-induced terms are not negligible and can contribute to magnetic differential equations, with β of the order of the ratio of induced to vacuum fields. Under these assumptions, it is proven that the aspect ratio must…

A systematic theory of the asymptotic expansion of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium in the distance from the magnetic axis is developed to include arbitrary smooth currents near the magnetic axis. Compared to the vacuum and the force-free system, an additional magnetic differential equation must be solved to obtain the pressure-driven…

Quasisymmetry (QS), a hidden symmetry of the magnetic field strength, is known to support nested flux surfaces and provide superior particle confinement in stellarators. In this work, we study the ideal MHD equilibrium and stability of high-beta plasma in a large aspect-ratio stellarator. In particular, we show that the lowest-order description…

Quasisymmetry (QS) is a hidden symmetry of the magnetic field strength, B, that confines charged particles effectively in a three-dimensional toroidal plasma equilibrium. Here, we show that QS has a deep connection to the underlying symmetry that makes solitons possible. Our approach uncovers a hidden lower dimensionality of B on a magnetic…