Equivalent representations of higher-order Hamiltonian guiding-center theory

Abstract: Two complementary representations of higher-order guiding-center theory are presented, which are distinguished by whether higher-order corrections due to magnetic-field nonuniformity appear in the guiding-center Poisson bracket or the guiding-center Hamiltonian. The equivalence of these two representations implies that the guiding-center gyroaction adiabatic invariant and the guiding-center Hamilton equations of motion are representation-invariants. By using a new perturbative hierarchy in guiding-center theory, second-order corrections are introduced in Hamiltonian guiding-center theory without the need to calculate the guiding-center transformation at second order.