Relative equilibrium

A relative equilibrium is a solution that is stationary after undoing motion generated by a continuous symmetry. For complex amplitudes with a common rotation symmetry, constant moduli and constant relative phases can accompany a common phase evolving at constant frequency. Quotienting by the symmetry turns that solution into an ordinary equilibrium.

For identical point vortices on the plane, use $\omega ={\sum }_{a}d{x}_a\wedge d{y}_a$, ${\iota }_{X_H}\omega =dH$, and $L=\frac{1}{2}{\sum }_a(x_a^2+y_a^2)$. The generator $Y$ of simultaneous counterclockwise rotations is $-X_L$, and $L$ is its moment map with the convention ${\iota }_Y\omega =-dL$. In coordinates rotating with angular velocity $\Omega$, the Hamiltonian vector field is $X_H-\Omega Y=X_{H+\Omega L}$. Hence a collision-free configuration rigidly rotating at that velocity is exactly a critical point of the augmented Hamiltonian function $H+\Omega L$. For $H=-{\sum }_{a<b}\log |{\mathbf{r}}_a-{\mathbf{r}}_b{|}^2$, scaling all positions shows ${\sum }_a{\mathbf{r}}_a\cdot {\nabla }_{a}H=-N(N-1)$; a rotating relative equilibrium therefore obeys $2\Omega L=N(N-1)$. For $N\ge 2$ this implies positive $\Omega$ in the stated circulation convention. Reversing the contraction convention requires consistent changes to the Hamiltonian and rotation signs.