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Title: Self-similar inverse cascade of magnetic helicity driven by the chiral anomaly

Journal Article · · Physical Review. D, Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Stony Brook Univ., Stony Brook, NY (United States)
  2. Stony Brook Univ., Stony Brook, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
  3. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

For systems with charged chiral fermions, the imbalance of chirality in the presence of magnetic field generates an electric current—this is the chiral magnetic effect (CME). We study the dynamical real-time evolution of electromagnetic fields coupled by the anomaly to the chiral charge density and the CME current by solving the Maxwell-Chern-Simons equations. We find that the CME induces the inverse cascade of magnetic helicity toward the large distances, and that at late times this cascade becomes self-similar, with universal exponents. We also find that in terms of gauge field topology the inverse cascade represents the transition from linked electric and magnetic fields (Hopfions) to the knotted configuration of magnetic field (Chandrasekhar-Kendall states). The magnetic reconnections are accompanied by the pulses of the CME current directed along the magnetic field lines. In conclusion, we devise an experimental signature of these phenomena in heavy ion collisions, and speculate about implications for condensed matter systems.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC00112704; FG-88ER40388; SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1295203
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1234015
Report Number(s):
BNL-112211-2016-JA; R&D Project: KB0301020; KB0301020
Journal Information:
Physical Review. D, Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, Vol. 92, Issue 12; ISSN 1550-7998
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 79 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (12)

Status of the chiral magnetic effect and collisions of isobars journal June 2017
Magnetic fields in heavy ion collisions: flow and charge transport journal March 2020
Baryogenesis from axion inflation text January 2019
Laminar and Turbulent Dynamos in Chiral Magnetohydrodynamics. I. Theory journal September 2017
Laminar and Turbulent Dynamos in Chiral Magnetohydrodynamics. II. Simulations journal May 2018
Baryogenesis from axion inflation text January 2019
Baryogenesis from axion inflation text January 2019
Magnetic fields in heavy ion collisions: flow and charge transport text January 2020
Laminar and turbulent dynamos in chiral magnetohydrodynamics-I: Theory text January 2017
Dynamics of vortices in chiral media: the chiral propulsion effect text January 2018
Chiral magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in core-collapse supernovae text January 2018
Magnetic fields in heavy ion collisions: flow and charge transport text January 2019

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