Towards a third-order topological invariant for magnetic fields

DOI10.1088/0305-4470/35/17/309zbMATH Open1040.76067arXivphysics/0203048OpenAlexW2033234471MaRDI QIDQ4465669FDOQ4465669

Authors: Christoph Mayer, Gunnar Hornig 

Publication date: 9 June 2004

Published in: Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: An expression for a third-order link integral of three magnetic fields is presented. It is a topological invariant and therefore an invariant of ideal magnetohydrodynamics. The integral generalizes existing expressions for third-order invariants which are obtained from the Massey triple product, where the three fields are restricted to isolated flux tubes. The derivation and interpretation of the invariant shows a close relationship with the well-known magnetic helicity, which is a second-order topological invariant. Using gauge fields with an SU(2) symmetry, helicity and the new third-order invariant originate from the same identity, an identity which relates the second Chern class and the Chern-Simons three-form. We present an explicit example of three magnetic fields with non-disjunct support. These fields, derived from a vacuum Yang-Mills field with a non-vanishing winding number, possess a third-order linkage detected by our invariant.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0203048

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zbMATH Keywords

helicityChern classYang-Mills fieldMassey product

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Magnetohydrodynamics and electrohydrodynamics (76W05) Electromagnetic theory (general) (78A25) Massey products (55S30)

Cited In (22)

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• Generalized Gauss maps and integrals for three-component links: toward higher helicities for magnetic fields and fluid flows
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• On a higher integral invariant for closed magnetic lines, revisited
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• Integral formula for a generalized Sato-Levine invariant in magnetic hydrodynamics
• On asymptotic higher analogs of the helicity invariant in magnetohydrodynamics
• Topological bifurcations in three–dimensional magnetic fields
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• A new strategy to microscopic modeling of topological entanglement in polymers based on field theory
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• Measures of Topological Structure in Magnetic Fields
• Invariants of magnetic lines for Yang-Mills solutions
• A fourth-order topological invariant of magnetic or vortex lines

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