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Variational principles of guiding centre motion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

Robert G. Littlejohn
Robert G. Littlejohn
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024
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Abstract

An elementary but rigorous derivation is given for a variational principle for guiding centre motion. The equations of motion resulting from the variational principle (the drift equations) possess exact conservation laws for phase volume, energy (for time-independent systems), and angular momentum (for azimuthally symmetric systems). The results of carrying the variational principle to higher order in the adiabatic parameter are displayed. The behaviour of guiding centre motion in azimuthally symmetric fields is discussed, and the role of angular momentum is clarified. The application of variational principles in the derivation and solution of gyrokinetic equations is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , February 1983 , pp. 111 - 125
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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References

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