Hamiltonian Magnetohydrodynamics: Lagrangian, Eulerian, and Dynamically Accessible Stability -- Examples with Translation Symmetry

Abstract

Because different constraints are imposed, stability conditions for dissipationless fluids and magnetofluids may take different forms when derived within the Lagrangian, Eulerian (energy-Casimir), or dynamical accessible frameworks. This is in particular the case when flows are present. These differences are explored explicitly by working out in detail two magnetohydrodynamic examples: convection against gravity in a stratified fluid and translationally invariant perturbations of a rotating magnetized plasma pinch. In this second example we show in explicit form how to perform the time-dependent relabeling introduced in Andreussi {\it et al.}\ [Phys.\ Plasmas {\bf20}, 092104 (2013)] that makes it possible to reformulate Eulerian equilibria with flows as Lagrangian equilibria in the relabeled variables. The procedures detailed in the present article provide a paradigm that can be applied to more general plasma configurations and in addition extended to more general plasma descriptions where dissipation is absent.