Lorentz invariant `potential magnetic field' and magnetic flux conservation in an ideal relativistic plasma
Abstract
A family of Lorentz invariant scalar functions of the magnetic field is defined in an ideal relativistic plasma. These invariants are advected by the plasma fluid motion and play the role of the potential magnetic field introduced by Hide in (Ann. Geophys., vol. 1, 1983, 59) along the lines of Ertel's theorem. From these invariants we recover the Cauchy conditions for the magnetic field components in the mapping from Eulerian to Lagrangian variables. In addition, the adopted procedure allows us to formulate, in a Lorentz invariant form, the Alfvén theorem for the conservation of the magnetic flux through a surface comoving with the plasma.
- Publication:
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Journal of Plasma Physics
- Pub Date:
- August 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S0022377818000910
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1808.03458
- Bibcode:
- 2018JPlPh..84d7203P
- Keywords:
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- astrophysical plasmas;
- plasma dynamics;
- plasma flows;
- Physics - Plasma Physics
- E-Print:
- doi:10.1017/S0022377818000910