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Applications of the concept of generalized vorticity to space plasmas
Author(s) -
Banks P. M.,
Edwards W. F.,
Rasmussen C.,
Thompson R. C.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl008i001p00095
Subject(s) - vorticity , physics , plasma , vorticity equation , streamlines, streaklines, and pathlines , magnetic field , vortex , electron , divergence (linguistics) , astrophysical plasma , classical mechanics , space (punctuation) , quantum electrodynamics , mechanics , quantum mechanics , linguistics , philosophy
A reformulation of the momentum equation for electrons or ions in a collisionless plasma leads to an equation which describes the behavior of the plasma in terms of a generalized vorticity. This vorticity, which includes contributions from and the magnetic field, is both divergence‐free and conserved along plasma flow streamlines. When the plasma has zero vorticity, a special relation is established; i.e. . This result appears to have application to small scale magnetic features within both conventional space plasmas and superconductors.