Extensions of guiding center motion to higher order

Abstract

In a static magnetic field, some well-known guiding center equations maintain their form when extended to next order in gyroradius. In these cases, it is only necessary to include the next order term in the magnetic moment series. The differential equation for guiding center motion which describes both the parallel and perpendicular velocities correctly through first order in gyroradius is given. The question of how to define the guiding center position through second order arises and is discussed, and second order drifts are derived for one usual definition. The toroidal canonical angular momentum, Pφ, of the guiding center in an axisymmetric field is shown to be conserved using the guiding center velocity correct through first order. When second-order motion is included, Pφ is no longer a constant. The above extensions of guiding center theory help to resolve the different tokamak orbits obtained either by using the guiding center equations of motion or by using conservation of Pφ.