A similarity reduction of the generalized Grad–Shafranov equation

Abstract

We extend previous work [Y. E. Litvinenko, Phys. Plasmas 17, 074502 (2010)] on a direct method for finding similarity reductions of partial differential equations such as the Grad–Shafranov equation, to the case of the generalized Grad–Shafranov equation (GGSE) with arbitrary incompressible flow. Several families of analytic solutions are constructed, the generalized Solovév solution being a particular case, which contain both the classical and non-classical group-invariant solutions to the GGSE. Those solutions can describe a variety of equilibrium configurations pertinent to toroidal magnetically confined plasmas and planetary magnetospheres.