Analysis of the polarization effects in the gyrokinetic theory of magnetized plasmas

Debing Zhang, Limin Yu, Erbing Xue, and Xianmei Zhang
Phys. Rev. E 103, 013212 – Published 25 January 2021

Abstract

By adopting the hybrid coordinates, in which the nonlinearity of polarization displacement is included in the configuration space variables compared to the conventional gyrocenter coordinates, the polarization effects are analyzed by using the modern gyrokinetic (GK) theory of magnetized plasmas. Based on the invariant property, the velocity transformation between the gyrocenter and hybrid coordinates is calculated, and the phase-space velocity in terms of the hybrid coordinates is obtained. The linear and nonlinear polarization distribution functions are defined, and the evolutions for the polarization distribution functions are derived. It is well known that the polarization density is important in the GK calculation of particle density. Analogously, it is shown that the polarization current should be considered in the GK calculation of current density. In the case with electrostatic fluctuations, the roles of the polarization current are illustrated in the derivations of the Hasegawa-Mima equation and the dispersion relation for geodesic acoustic mode. In the case with magnetic fluctuations, the procedure for the GK calculation of perpendicular current is clarified, the dispersion relation for compressional Alfvén wave is derived, in which the effect of polarization current is discussed.

  • Received 14 October 2020
  • Accepted 9 January 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.103.013212

©2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Plasma Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Debing Zhang, Limin Yu, Erbing Xue, and Xianmei Zhang*

  • Department of Physics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China

  • *zhangxm@ecust.edu.cn

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Issue

Vol. 103, Iss. 1 — January 2021

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