{
  "abstract": "We resolve an existing question concerning dynamical and structural stability of the E {\\times} B staircases in magnetically confined fusion plasma. The problem has stirred considerable interest in the literature due to a unique combination of its scientific and practical aspects. Here, we report a new approach to the problem by combining the paradigmatic Hasegawa-Wakatani model of electrostatic drift-wave turbulence with an idea of interaction renormalization, imported from quantum field theory. It is shown based on the Schrödinger-Newton equation with renormalized interaction constant that the plasma staircase is robust and stable as soon as the nonadiabaticity parameter, δ, goes above a certain critical value, and is unstable otherwise. This critical value is an exact result of the interaction model and is found to be δc = π. For δ < δc , the unstable system expands in the radial direction, resulting in a radial second moment that grows with time t as t^(2/3). The results obtained bear important implications with regard to the implementation of arrays of semipermeable transport barriers in tokamaks, suggesting a threshold condition for their generation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2609.22915",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Alexander V. Milovanov"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alexander Iomin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jens Juul Rasmussen"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7drgch2vryay7.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2609.22915",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "7drgch2vryay7",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.22915",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.dis-nn"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.stat-mech"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "math-ph"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "math.MP"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "nlin.CD"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.plasm-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3106|Magnetic confinement fusion research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214001928",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2609.22915",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-19",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7drgch2vryay7.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:23:19Z",
      "native_id": "2609.22915",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.22915"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "mathematics",
      "origin": "arxiv:math-ph",
      "subfield": "mathematical-physics"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.dis-nn",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.plasm-ph",
      "subfield": "plasma"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.stat-mech",
      "subfield": "statistical-nonlinear"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Interaction renormalization and the plasma staircase",
  "title_text": "Interaction renormalization and the plasma staircase",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:23:27Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7drgch2vryay7",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}