Abstract
In this chapter we provide an overview of helicity and vorticity conservation laws in ideal fluid dynamics and MHD. For ideal barotropic fluids, in fluid mechanics, we derive the helicity conservation law for the helicity density h f = u ⋅ω, where ω = ∇×u is the fluid vorticity. The integral \(H_f=\int _{V_m} h_f \ d^3x\) over a volume V m moving with the fluid, is the fluid helicity. It is important in the description of the linkage of the vorticity streamlines (e.g. Moffatt (1969), Arnold and Khesin (1998)). In MHD, the integral \(H_M=\int _{V_m} \mathbf {A}\cdot \mathbf {B}\ d^3x\) is the magnetic helicity, where B = ∇×A is the magnetic induction and A is the magnetic vector potential. It is referred to as the Chern Simons term in field theory (the Chern Simons term in Yang-Mills theory has a totally different form). It describes the linkage and self linkage of the magnetic field lines (Woltjer (1958), Berger and Field (1984)). The cross helicity \(H_C=\int _{V_m} \mathbf {u}\cdot \mathbf {B}\ d^3x\) describes the linkage of the magnetic field flux tubes and the vorticity flux tubes. For the case of a barotropic gas with p = p(ρ), H C is conserved following the flow, i.e. dH C /dt = 0. For non-barotopic flows, a modifled form of the cross helicity, H CNB is conserved following the flow. We derive topological invariants (topological charges) by determining invariants which are Lie dragged with the flow in Chapter 6 (e.g. Moiseev et al. (1982), Tur and Yanovsky (1993), Webb et al. (2014a)).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Arnold, V.I., Khesin, B.A.: Topological Methods in Hydrodynamics. Springer, New York (1998)
Berger, M.A.: An Energy Formula for Nonlinear Force Free Magnetic Fields. Astron. Astrophys. 201, 355–361 (1988)
Berger, M.A.: Third Order Braid Invariants. J. Phys. A 24, 4027–4036 (1991)
Berger, M.A., Field, G.B.: The Topological Properties of Magnetic Helicity. J. Fluid. Mech. 147, 133–148 (1984)
Berger, M.A., Ruzmaikin, A.: Rate of Helicity Production by Solar Rotation. J. Geophys. Res. 105(A5), 10481–10490 (2000)
Bieber, J.W., Evenson, P.A., Matthaeus, W.H.: Magnetic Helicity of the Parker Field. Astrophys. J. 315, 700 (1987)
Boyd, T.J.M., Sanderson, J.J.: In: Jeffrey, A. (ed.) Plasma Dynamics. Applications of Mathematics Series. Barnes and Noble, New York (1969)
Cary, J.R., Littlejohn, R.G.: Noncanonical Hamiltonian Mechanics and Its Application to Magnetic Field Line Flow. Ann. Phys. 151, 1–34 (1983)
Cheviakov, A.F.: Conservation Properties and Potential Systems of Vorticity-Type Equations. J. Math. Phys. 55, 033508 (16 pp.) (2014) (0022-2488/2014/55(3)/033508/16)
Elsässer, W.M.: Hydrodynamic Dynamo Theory. Rev. Mod. Phys. 28, 135 (1956)
Finn, J.H., Antonsen, T.M.: Magnetic Helicity: What Is it and What Is it Good for? Comments Plasma Phys. Contr. Fusion 9(3), 111 (1985)
Finn, J.M., Antonsen, T.M.: Magnetic Helicity Injection for Configurations with Field Errors. Phys. Fluids 31(10), 3012–3017 (1988)
Holm, D.D.: Geometric Mechanics, Part I: Dynamics and Symmetry. Imperial College Press, London (2008a). Distributed by World Scientific
Holm, D.D., Kupershmidt, B.A.: Poisson Brackets and Clebsch Representations for Magnetohydrodynamics, Multi-Fluid Plasmas and Elasticity. Phys. D 6D, 347–363 (1983a)
Holm, D.D., Kupershmidt, B.A.: Noncanonical Hamiltonian Formulation of Ideal Magnetohydrodynamics. Physica D 7D, 330–333 (1983b)
Hydon, P.E., Mansfield, E.L.: Extensions of Noether’s Second Theorem: From Continuous to Discrete Systems. Proc. R. Soc. A 467, 3206–3221 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2011.0158
Jackson, J.D.: Classical Electrodynamics, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York (1975)
Kats, A.V.: Variational Principle in Canonical Variables, Weber Transformation and Complete Set of Local Integrals of Motion for Dissipation-Free Magnetohydrodynamics. J. Exp. Theor. Phys. Lett. 77(12), 657–661 (2003)
Longcope, D.W., Malanushenko, A.: Defining and Calculating Self-helicity in Coronal Magnetic Fields. Astrophys. J. 674, 1130–1143 (2008)
Low, B.C.: Magnetic Helicity in a Two-Flux Partitioning of an Ideal Hydromagnetic Fluid. Astrophys. J. 646, 1288–1302 (2006)
Matthaeus, W.H., Goldstein, M.L.: Measurement of the Rugged Invariants of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in the Solar Wind. J. Geophys. Res. 87(A8), 6011–6028 (1982)
Moffatt, H.K.: The Degree of Knottedness of Tangled Vortex Lines. J. Fluid. Mech. 35, 117 (1969)
Moffatt, H.K.: Magnetic Field Generation in Electrically Conducting Fluids. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1978)
Moffatt, H.K., Ricca, R.L.: Helicity and the Calugareanu Invariant. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. A 439, 411 (1992)
Moiseev, S.S., Sagdeev, R.Z., Tur, A.V., Yanovskii, V.V.: On the Freezing-in Integrals and Lagrange Invariants in Hydrodynamic Models. Sov. Phys. J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 56(1), 117–123 (1982)
Morrison, P.J.: Magnetic Field Lines, Hamiltonian Dynamics and Nontwist Systems. Phys. Plasmas 7(6), 2279–2289 (2000)
Padhye, N.S., Morrison, P.J.: Fluid Relabeling Symmetry. Phys. Lett. A 219, 287–292 (1996a)
Padhye, N.S., Morrison, P.J.: Relabeling Symmetries in Hydrodynamics and Magnetohydrodynamics. Plasma Phys. Rep. 22, 869–877 (1996b)
Parker, E.N.: Cosmic Magnetic Fields. Oxford University Press, New York (1979)
Prior, C., Yeates, A.R.: On the Helicity of Open Magnetic Fields. Astrophys. J. 787(100), 13 pp. (2014)
Rosner, R., Low, B.C., Tsinganos, K., Berger, M.A.: On the Relationship Between the Topology of Magnetic Field Lines and Flux Surfaces. Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 48, 251–271 (1989)
Tur, A.V., Yanovsky, V.V.: Invariants in Dissipationless Hydrodynamic Media. J. Fluid Mech. 248, 67–106 (1993)
Webb, G.M.: Multi-Symplectic, Lagrangian, One-Dimensional Gas Dynamics. J. Math. Phys. 56, 053101 (20 pp.) (2015). Also available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1408.4028v4
Webb, G.M., Anco, S.C.: On Magnetohydrodynamic Gauge Field Theory. J. Phys. A Math. Theor. 50, 255501, 34 pp. (2017)
Webb, G.M., Mace, R.L.: Potential Vorticity in Magnetohydrodynamics. J. Plasma Phys. 81, p. 18, 905810115 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022377814000658. Preprint: http://arxiv/org/abs/1403.3133
Webb, G.M., Hu, Q., Dasgupta, B., Zank, G.P.: Homotopy Formulas for the Magnetic Vector Potential and Magnetic Helicity: The Parker Spiral Interplanetary Magnetic Field and Magnetic Flux Ropes. J. Geophys. Res. (Space Phys.) 115, A10112 (2010a). https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JA015513. Corrections: J. Geophys. Res. 116, A11102 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JA017286
Webb, G.M., Dasgupta, B., McKenzie, J.F., Hu, Q., Zank, G.P.: Local and Nonlocal Advected Invariants and Helicities in Magnetohydrodynamics and Gas Dynamics I: Lie Dragging Approach. J. Phys. A. Math. Theor. 47, 095501 (33 pp.) (2014a). https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8113/49/9/095501. Preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.1105
Webb, G.M., Dasgupta, B., McKenzie, J.F., Hu, Q., Zank, G.P.: Local and Nonlocal Advected Invariants and Helicities in Magnetohydrodynamics and Gas Dynamics II: Noether’s Theorems and Casimirs. J. Phys. A. Math. Theor. 47, 095502 (31 pp.) (2014b). https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8113/47/9/095502. Preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.1038
Woltjer, L.: A Theorem on Force-Free Magnetic Fields. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 44, 489 (1958)
Yahalom, A.: Aharonov-Bohm Effects in Magnetohydrodynamics. Phys. Lett. A 377, 1898–1904 (2013)
Yahalom, A.: Simplified Variational Principles for Non-barotropic Magnetohydrodynamics. J. Plasma Phys. 82(2), 15 pp. (2016a). Article ID. 905820204
Yahalom, A.: A Conserved Cross Helicity for Non-barotropic MHD. Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 111(2), 131–137 (2017a). Preprint. arXiv:1605.02537v1
Yahalom, A.: Non Barotropic Cross Helicity Conservation and the Aharonov-Bohm Effect in Magnetohydrodynamics. Fluid Dyn. Res. (2017b). https://doi.org/10.1088/1873-7005/aa6fc7
Yeates, A.R., Hornig, G.: Unique Topological Characterization of Braided Magnetic Fields. Phys. Plasmas 20, 012102 (5 pp.) (2013)
Zakharov, V.E., Kuznetsov, E.A.: Hamiltonian Formalism for Nonlinear Waves. Phys. Uspekhi 40(11), 1087–1116 (1997)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Webb, G. (2018). Helicity in Fluids and MHD. In: Magnetohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics: Action Principles and Conservation Laws. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 946. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72511-6_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72511-6_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-72510-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-72511-6
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)