Controlled Evolution of Highly Elongated Tokamak Plasmas

Abstract
It is demonstrated numerically that a tokamak plasma can be evolved continuously from a near-circular cross-section shape to a 41 vertically elongated racetrack. All intermediate stages and the final state are stable to axisymmetric MHD modes. The stabilization is provided by the vacuum vessel walls on the ideal time scale and by an orthogonal active feedback system on the resistive time scale.