Effective field theory of magnetohydrodynamics from generalized global symmetries

Abstract: We introduce an effective action for non-dissipative magnetohydrodynamics. A crucial guiding principle is the generalized global symmetry of electrodynamics, which naturally leads to introducing a "dual photon" as the degree of freedom responsible for the electromagnetic component of the fluid. The formalism includes additional degrees of freedom and symmetries which characterize the hydrodynamic regime. By suitably enhancing one of the symmetries, the theory becomes force-free electrodynamics. The symmetries furthermore allow to systematize local and non-local conserved helicities. We also discuss higher-derivative corrections.