Local thermodynamics of a magnetized, anisotropic plasma

TL;DR

This paper derives a fundamental thermodynamic potential for a weakly coupled, magnetized, anisotropic plasma, enabling the calculation of all thermodynamic properties and equations of state from basic principles.

Contribution

It provides the first derivation of an internal energy expression for such plasmas from first principles, linking thermodynamics with plasma physics.

Findings

Provides a thermodynamic potential as a function of entropy, density, and magnetic field.

Derives equations of state for magnetized, anisotropic plasmas.

Connects fluid equations, kinetic theory, and MHD laws to thermodynamic properties.

Abstract

An expression for the internal energy of a fluid element in a weakly coupled, magnetized, anisotropic plasma is derived from first principles. The result is a function of entropy, particle density and magnetic field, and as such plays the role of a thermodynamic potential: it determines in principle all thermodynamic properties of the fluid element. In particular it provides equations of state for the magnetized plasma. The derivation uses familiar fluid equations, a few elements of kinetic theory, the MHD version of Faraday's law, and certain familiar stability and regularity conditions.