Saddle-node conjecture for the two-dimensional Ren–Wei branch

Let $\chi$ be the fissility parameter, let $\chi_*$ be the bifurcation value, and let $\chi_4\approx0.904\pm0.001$. The Ren–Wei branch is the two-dimensional equilibrium branch emerging at $\chi=\chi_*$. Ren–Wei saddle-node conjecture. The Ren–Wei branch does not continue to arbitrarily small $\chi$ and disappears at $\chi=\chi_4$ through a saddle-node bifurcation. As $\chi$ decreases from $\chi_*$ to $\chi_4$, the equilibrium on this branch changes shape from a disk to an ellipse-like shape to an eye mask. This claim is based on the paper's numerical results and remains unresolved in the supplied text.