Effective Field Theory of Force-Free Electrodynamics

Abstract

Force-free electrodynamics (FFE) is a closed set of equations for the electromagnetic field of a magnetically dominated plasma. There are strong arguments for the existence of force-free plasmas near pulsars and active black holes, but FFE alone cannot account for the observational signatures, such as coherent radio emission and relativistic jets and winds. We reformulate FFE as the effective field theory of a cold string fluid and initiate a systematic study of corrections in a derivative expansion. At leading order the effective theory is equivalent to (generalized) FFE, with the strings comprised by magnetic field line worldsheets. Higher-order corrections generically give rise to non-zero accelerating electric fields ($\mathbf{E}\cdot \mathbf{B}\ne 0$). We discuss potential observable consequences and comment on an intriguing numerical coincidence.

15 pages; v2: some conventions changed, typos corrected

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• Generalized Global Symmetries
• Holography and hydrodynamics with weakly broken symmetries
• Towards an effective action for relativistic dissipative hydrodynamics
• Magnetohydrodynamics as superfluidity
• Effective field theory of magnetohydrodynamics from generalized global symmetries
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Cited by in corpus (10)

• Superfluids as Higher-form Anomalies
• New developments in relativistic magnetohydrodynamics
• A stable and causal model of magnetohydrodynamics
• Effective field theory for non-relativistic hydrodynamics
• Effective description of non-equilibrium currents in cold magnetized plasma
• Towards traversable wormholes from force-free plasmas
• Breakdown of force-free electrodynamics in electric zones
• Operator lifetime and the force-free electrodynamic limit of magnetised holographic plasma
• Effective field theories of dissipative fluids with one-form symmetries
• General relativistic calculation of magnetic field and Power loss for a misaligned pulsar