Representations of currents and magnetic fields in anisotropic magnetohydrostatic plasma

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Abstract
We discuss the mathematical representation of the electric current density and the magnetic field in equilibrium anisotropic magnetized plasma for which the particle motions parallel to the magnetic field are adiabatic. The current density is the sum of contributions due to plasma‐pressure currents and force‐free currents. The plasma pressure contribution can be expressed in terms of a vector field that is a function of the equatorial parallel pressure, the equatorial pitch angle distribution, and the magnetic field geometry. In the absence of force‐free currents it is possible to introduce a magnetic scalar potential in the presence of anisotropic magnetized plasma. The second‐order partial differential equation governing the scalar potential expresses the full coupling between the plasma and the magnetic field.