{
  "abstract": "We present a novel mechanism for spontaneous shear-flow generation in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of magnetically confined plasmas, arising at abrupt changes in the sheath connection length $L_\\parallel$. Such transitions occur naturally in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator. Applying a critical balance treatment for interchange turbulence, we find that $L_\\parallel$ sets the equilibrium pressure gradient and hence the radial electric field away from the transition, producing an $E\\times B$ shear around the transition comparable to the turbulence growth rate. High-fidelity simulations are shown to be consistent with the theoretical prediction.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.30343",
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Brendan Shanahan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Eduardo Rodriguez"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5f96rnysry5y.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.30343",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "b5f96rnysry5y",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.30343",
  "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",
      "physics.plasm-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3106|Magnetic confinement fusion research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223295589",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.30343",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-21",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5f96rnysry5y.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:34:34Z",
      "native_id": "2610.30343",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.30343"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.plasm-ph",
      "subfield": "plasma"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A novel mechanism for spontaneous ExB shear layer formation in scrape-off-layer plasmas",
  "title_text": "A novel mechanism for spontaneous ExB shear layer formation in scrape-off-layer plasmas",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:34:34Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5f96rnysry5y",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}