The physics of the second-order gyrokinetic magnetohydrodynamic Hamiltonian: μ conservation, Galilean invariance, and ponderomotive potential

Some physical interpretations are given of the well-known second-order gyrokinetic Hamiltonian in the magnetohydrodynamic limit. Its relations to the conservation of the true (Galilean-invariant) magnetic moment and fluid nonlinearities are described. Subtleties about its derivation as a cold-ion limit are explained; it is important to take that limit in the frame moving with the E×B velocity. The discussion also provides some geometric understanding of certain well-known Lie generating functions, and it makes contact with general discussions of ponderomotive potentials and the thermodynamics of dielectric media