Let be the fluid Lagrangian displacement, so about the static background. A displaced material volume changes by fractional amount . Mass conservation therefore gives the fluid Lagrangian perturbation of density . Converting to the fluid Eulerian perturbation by gives
Adiabatic conservation of gives , and consequently .
Integrating the linearized ideal induction equation for a perturbation generated by the displacement gives . Since the equilibrium field is solenoidal, expansion yields
This is the displacement form of magnetic flux freezing. It also preserves .
Rewrite the magnetic force as . Linearizing the full momentum equation, subtracting static force balance, and setting gives
Together these are the linear displacement equations for a magnetized atmosphere. The density multiplying acceleration is the equilibrium value, because a perturbation of that factor would multiply a first-order acceleration and contribute only at second order.