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arXiv · 1508.03058

On the Topological Characterization of Near Force-Free Magnetic Fields, and the work of late-onset visually-impaired Topologists

P. Robert Kotiuga
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Abstract

The Giroux correspondence and the notion of a near force-free magnetic field are used to topologically characterize near force-free magnetic fields which describe a variety of physical processes, including plasma equilibrium. As a byproduct, the topological characterization of force-free magnetic fields associated with current-carrying links, as conjectured by Crager and Kotiuga, is shown to be necessary and conditions for sufficiency are given. Along the way a paradox is exposed: The seemingly unintuitive mathematical tools, often associated to higher dimensional topology, have their origins in three dimensional contexts but in the hands of late-onset visually impaired topologists. This paradox was previously exposed in the context of algorithms for the visualization of three-dimensional magnetic fields. For this reason, the paper concludes by developing connections between mathematics and cognitive science in this specific context.

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P. Robert Kotiuga. 2015-08-06. On the Topological Characterization of Near Force-Free Magnetic Fields, and the work of late-onset visually-impaired Topologists. https://arxiv.org/abs/1508.03058

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