Local gyrokinetic simulations use a field-aligned domain that twists due to the magnetic shear of the background magnetic equilibrium. However, if the magnetic shear is strong and/or the domain is long, the twist can become so extreme that it fails to properly resolve the turbulence. In this work, we derive and implement the non-twisting flux tube, a local simulation domain that remains...
Given the large anisotropy of transport processes in magnetized plasmas, the magnetic field structure can strongly impact the heat diffusion: magnetic surfaces and cantori form barriers to transport while chaotic layers and island structures can degrade confinement. When a small but finite amount of perpendicular diffusion is included, the structure of the magnetic field becomes less...
