Magnetohydrodynamics for Collisionless Plasmas
 from the Gyrokinetic Perspective

Author:  W. W. Lee

Abstract:  The effort to obtain a set of hydromagnetic equations for a magnetized collisionless plasma started nearly 60 years ago by Chew, Goldberger and Lowe. Many attempts have been made ever since. Here, we will show the derivation of a set of collisionless MHD equations from the gyrokinetic perspective. This set of equations is energy conserving and, in the absence of fluctuations, recovers the usual MHD equilibrium. Furthermore, the corresponding plasma pressure balance can be modified by the finite-Larmor-radius (FLR) effects in the regions with steep pressure gradients. The present work is an outgrowth of the paper on "Alfven Waves in Gyrokinetic Plasmas” by W. W. Lee and H. Qin [Phys. Plasmas 10, 3196 (2003)].
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Submitted to:  Physics of Plasmas
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Download PPPL-5236 (pdf 1.9 MB 12 pp)
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