Magnetic helicity ($H={\int }_V\mathbf{A}\cdot \mathbf{B}dV,\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$)

The magnetic helicity integrates the dot product of a magnetic vector potential and its magnetic field. It measures linkage and twisting of magnetic flux. For a solenoidal vector field $\mathbf{B}$ tangent to the boundary, it is unchanged by the gauge transformation $\mathbf{A}\mapsto \mathbf{A}+\nabla \chi$, since the change is ${\int }_V\nabla \cdot (\chi \mathbf{B})dV={\int }_{\partial V}\chi \mathbf{B}\cdot d\mathbf{S}=0$. If its density satisfies ${\partial }_{t}h=\nabla \cdot (f\mathbf{B}-h\mathbf{u})$ with both vector fields tangent to the boundary of a fixed volume, the divergence theorem gives conservation of its integral. This is an instance of helicity conservation by tangent boundary conditions.

For regular globally defined electromagnetic potentials, use $\mathbf{E}=-\nabla \varphi -{\partial }_t\mathbf{A}$, $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$ and the homogeneous Maxwell equations to prove the displayed identity. With vanishing spatial surface flux, its spacetime integral is minus one half the change of magnetic helicity. Zero integral therefore needs matching temporal helicity boundaries, not merely localized electric fields and magnetic fields. The Gaussian potential $a(t)e^{-r^2}(-y,x,\lambda )$ has helicity $2\lambda (\pi /2{)}^{3/2}a(t{)}^2$ and supplies an explicit spatially localized counterexample when $a$ changes from zero to one.

For a magnetic vector potential $\mathbf{A}$, a solenoidal magnetic field $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$ and constant magnetic diffusivity ${\eta }_m$, write ${\partial }_t\mathbf{A}=\mathbf{u}\times \mathbf{B}-{\eta }_m\nabla \times \mathbf{B}-\nabla \varphi$. In a fixed closed volume with zero helicity surface flux, integration by parts makes the two differentiated factors in $H={\int }_V\mathbf{A}\cdot \mathbf{B}dV$ equal; the scalar-potential boundary term vanishes when $\mathbf{B}\cdot \mathbf{n}=0$. One sufficient boundary gauge is $\mathbf{n}\times \mathbf{A}=0$; another standard setting is integration over all space with sufficient decay. Orthogonality of $\mathbf{u}\times \mathbf{B}$ to $\mathbf{B}$ gives the displayed identity. Unlike the resistive magnetic energy loss, $\dot{H}$ is not sign definite. The zero normal magnetic field also makes $H$ gauge invariance under single-valued smooth gauge transformations.

With the closed-boundary assumptions of the resistive magnetic-helicity balance, define the nonnegative resistive magnetic energy loss $D_B={\eta }_m{\int }_V|\nabla \times \mathbf{B}{|}^{2}dV/{\mu }_0$. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality gives the displayed bound. Consequently, in a family of fields with bounded $E_B,D_B$ as ${\eta }_m\to 0$, resistive magnetic helicity loss tends to zero even when $D_B$ remains finite. This is an absolute conservation estimate; it is not a universal comparison of fractional decay times. For a single Beltrami field with $\nabla \times \mathbf{B}=k\mathbf{B}$ and no motion, both $E_B$ and $H$ have the same fractional decay rate $2{\eta }_m{k}^2$.

In a bounded regular domain, fix the global extension or circulation convention for the magnetic vector potential. A bounded inverse of curl on tangent solenoidal vector fields gives $\Vert \mathbf{A}{\Vert }_2\le C_D\Vert \mathbf{B}{\Vert }_2$. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality then gives $|H_M|\le C_D\Vert \mathbf{B}{\Vert }_2^2=2{\mu }_0{C}_D{E}_B$. One construction extends the tangent field by zero outside the domain and uses the whole-space Biot-Savart law; its kernel of size $|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{y}{|}^{-2}$ is integrable over a bounded region, giving the required $L^2$ bound. Nonzero conserved magnetic helicity therefore prevents complete decay of magnetic energy.

Current helicity correlates a magnetic field with its curl, which is proportional to electric current density. It differs from magnetic helicity, which uses a magnetic vector potential. For a solenoidal monochromatic field of wavenumber $k$ in a periodic domain, choose ${\mathbf{a}}_b=\nabla \times \mathbf{b}/k^2$. Then $\nabla \times {\mathbf{a}}_b=\mathbf{b}$ and $H_c=k^2⟨{\mathbf{a}}_b\cdot \mathbf{b}⟩$.

An open flux tube carries magnetic flux through its end caps. Its ordinary magnetic helicity can therefore change under a single-valued gauge transformation. For $\mathbf{B}=aR{\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }+b{\mathbf{e}}_z$ inside $R<R_0$ and zero outside, a regular family of magnetic vector potentials is $A_{\varphi }=bR/2$, $A_z=C-a{R}^2/2$ inside and $A_{\varphi }=b{R}_0^2/(2R)$, $A_z=C-a{R}_0^2/2$ outside. Their tangential components agree at $R_0$. Inside, $\mathbf{A}\cdot \mathbf{B}=bC$, so the helicity per unit length is $\pi bC{R}_0^2$. Changing $C$ is the gauge transformation $\Lambda =\Delta Cz$, and changes this result whenever $b\ne 0$. The convention $A_z=0$ outside gives $C=a{R}_0^2/2$ and helicity per unit length $\pi ab{R}_0^4/2$, while $C=0$ gives zero. Without an end-cap or gauge convention the ordinary helicity is not unique.

For smooth ideal magnetohydrodynamics, write $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$ and ${\partial }_t\mathbf{A}=\mathbf{u}\times \mathbf{B}-\nabla \phi$. The continuity equation and induction equation give $D_t(\mathbf{B}/\rho )=(\mathbf{B}/\rho )\cdot \nabla \mathbf{u}$. The vector-potential equation becomes $D_t\mathbf{A}=\nabla (\mathbf{u}\cdot \mathbf{A}-\phi )-(\nabla \mathbf{u}{)}^T\mathbf{A}$. Contracting these two equations cancels their velocity-gradient terms and provesConsequently the magnetic helicity in a material volume satisfies $d{H}_m/dt={\int }_{\partial V}(\mathbf{u}\cdot \mathbf{A}-\phi )\mathbf{B}\cdot \mathbf{n}dS$. It is conserved when the magnetic field is tangent to the boundary. A single-valued gauge transformation changes $H_m$ by ${\int }_{\partial V}\Lambda \mathbf{B}\cdot \mathbf{n}dS$, which also vanishes under that condition.