Variational description of multi-fluid hydrodynamics: Coupling to gauge fields

Abstract

In this work we extend our previously developed formalism of Newtonian multi-fluid hydrodynamics to allow for coupling between the fluids and the electromagnetic and gravitational field. This is achieved within the convective variational principle by using a standard minimal coupling prescription. In addition to the conservation of total energy and momentum, we derive the conservation of canonical vorticity and helicity, which generalize the corresponding conserved quantities of uncharged fluids. We discuss the application of this formalism to electrically conducting systems, magnetohydrodynamics and superconductivity. The equations of electric conductors derived here are more general than those found in the standard description of such systems, in which the effect of entrainment is overlooked, despite the fact that it will generally be present in any conducting multi-constituent system.