Entropic Force in MHD, MHD turbulence, and the Entropy-Kinetic Equation

Abstract: Following earlier work, reference is made to the classical entropic force which results from spatially variable disorder, an exclusively repulsive force. In terms of macroscopic variables it is applied to magnetohydrodynamics, causing minor changes on the dispersion of magnetohydrodynamic waves. More important is its effect in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. Here the entropic force affects the ion inertial-range scales on the electron-dominated perpendicular spectrum causing a steeper than Kolmogorov $\kappa_\perp=-8/3$ spectral slope in agreement with gyro-kinetic simulations. In kinetic theory, inclusion of the ensemble-averaged entropic force weakly modifies the Langmuir wave dispersion. It leads to re-formulation of kinetic theory in terms of Gibbs-Boltzmann-entropy. Liouville's equation in this case becomes an entropy-kinetic equation under Hamiltonian action, with the entropic force-density appearing as an additional force term. This entropy-kinetic equation governs the self-consistent kinetic evolution of the classical entropy including self-modulation.