Published December 15, 1988 | Version v1
Journal article

Phase anholonomy in the classical adiabatic motion of charged particles

  • 1. Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545

Description

The classical adiabatic motion of charged particles in strong magnetic fields, otherwise known as guiding center motion, exhibits an anholonomic phase similar to Berry's phase and the phase discovered in a general context by Hannay. Analysis of this effect reveals that there often is no best way to define the gyrophase when magnetic field lines are curved. Instead, a change in the definition of the phase is a kind of gauge transformation, the study of which leads to new insight into guiding center theory. The path-dependent phase that occurs in this problem is coupled with the metrical structure of physical space, giving rise to a transport process for vectors and frames which is similar to parallel transport in non-Euclidean geometry. Strong analogies with Fermi-Walker transport and Thomas precession in special relativity are pointed out

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review, A
Journal Volume
38
Journal Issue
12
Series
Phys. Rev., A.
Journal Page Range
6034-6045
ISSN
0556-2791
CODEN
PLRAA

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
United States
INIS RN
20021045
Subject category
S73: NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT THE; GUIDING-CENTER APPROXIMATION; MAGNETIC FIELDS; PHASE STUDIES
Descriptors DEC
TRANSPORT THEORY