Magnetic helicity in multiply connected domains
Abstract
Magnetic helicity is a fundamental quantity of magnetohydrodynamics that carries topological information about the magnetic field. By `topological information', we usually refer to the linkage of magnetic field lines. For domains that are not simply connected, however, helicity also depends on the topology of the domain. In this paper we expand the standard definition of magnetic helicity in simply connected domains to multiply connected domains in of arbitrary topology. We also discuss how using the classic Biot-Savart operator simplifies the expression for helicity and how domain topology affects the physical interpretation of helicity.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Plasma Physics
- Pub Date:
- October 2019
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1908.03721
- Bibcode:
- 2019JPlPh..85e7701M
- Keywords:
-
- plasma properties;
- plasma nonlinear phenomena;
- Physics - Plasma Physics;
- Mathematical Physics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for Journal of Plasma Physics