Sample interview questions: Describe your knowledge of plasma equilibrium reconstruction algorithms for non-axisymmetric devices.
Sample answer:
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Variational methods:
- Minimize a free energy functional to obtain the equilibrium configuration.
- Commonly used algorithms include the Grad-Shafranov equation and its extensions.
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Fixed boundary methods:
- Solve the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations with fixed boundary conditions.
- Commonly used algorithms include the Grad-Shafranov equation solver (GSE) and its variants.
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Reconstruction from experimental data:
- Use measurements from magnetic probes, flux loops, and other diagnostics to infer the equilibrium configuration.
- Commonly used algorithms include the equilibrium reconstruction code (EQRC) and its variants.
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Hybrid methods:
- Combine elements from different reconstruction algorithms to im… Read full answer