Description of nonideal Lorentz transformation for electromagnetic nulls

Abstract

To identify characteristic topological features of the electromagnetic field in an arbitrary reference frame, Lorentz transformation properties of an electromagnetic field near a null point are explored under certain constraints, in different nonideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) situations for linear nulls, showing violations of topology accordingly. It is shown that Newcomb's condition for conservation of covariant magnetic surfaces does not necessarily mean conservation of field line topology under Lorentz transformation. Characterizations of the violation of magnetic topology under Lorentz transformation are given. A method describing local magnetic null webs by combination of the first and second order Taylor expansions is also proposed, whose transformation properties with possible nonideal influences are discussed in the frame of resistive MHD. These results are important for establishing a reasonable range of the fieldline picture and thus the dynamical analysis based on magnetic fieldlines.