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Generalized global symmetries and dissipative magnetohydrodynamics

6 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.

6 Pith papers citing it
abstract

The conserved magnetic flux of U(1) electrodynamics coupled to matter in four dimensions is associated with a generalized global symmetry. We study the realization of such a symmetry at finite temperature and develop the hydrodynamic theory describing fluctuations of a conserved 2-form current around thermal equilibrium. This can be thought of as a systematic derivation of relativistic magnetohydrodynamics, constrained only by symmetries and effective field theory. We construct the entropy current and show that at first order in derivatives, there are seven dissipative transport coefficients. We present a universal definition of resistivity in a theory of dynamical electromagnetism and derive a direct Kubo formula for the resistivity in terms of correlation functions of the electric field operator. We also study fluctuations and collective modes, deriving novel expressions for the dissipative widths of magnetosonic and Alfven modes. Finally, we demonstrate that a non-trivial truncation of the theory can be performed at low temperatures compared to the magnetic field: this theory has an emergent Lorentz invariance along magnetic field lines, and hydrodynamic fluctuations are now parametrized by a fluid tensor rather than a fluid velocity. Throughout, no assumption is made of weak electromagnetic coupling. Thus, our theory may have phenomenological relevance for dense electromagnetic plasmas.

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2026 5 2025 1

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representative citing papers

Holographic D-brane constructions with dynamical gauge fields

hep-th · 2025-06-11 · unverdicted · novelty 6.0

Equips bottom-up holographic D-brane models with dynamical boundary gauge fields and shows that quasinormal mode dispersion relations in equilibrium and nonequilibrium states match hydrodynamics with dynamical U(1) symmetry.

Effective Field Theories for Material Media

hep-th · 2026-07-07 · accept · novelty 4.0

Spacetime-symmetry-breaking Goldstone EFTs systematically describe bulk and localized excitations of solids, fluids, and superfluids, with new thermodynamic identifications and corrected scattering rates.

Boulder Lectures on Thermal Dynamics and Hydrodynamic EFTs

hep-th · 2026-06-01 · unverdicted · novelty 2.0

Lectures summarizing the construction of hydrodynamic EFTs through strong-to-weak symmetry breaking, with examples from spin chains to relativistic QFTs and UV/IR constraints on transport coefficients.

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Showing 6 of 6 citing papers.