Pseudo Alfvén–Lorentz Transformation
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) supports Alfvén characteristics whose propagation speed, measured in the fluid rest frame, is generally smaller than the speed of light and depends on the local magnetization. This paper examines whether the corresponding reduced characteristic equation admits a Lorentz-like transformation structure. Starting from the covariant Alfvén characteristic of ideal RMHD, we isolate the two-dimensional plane spanned by the fluid four-velocity and the magnetic-field direction. In a homogeneous state, the characteristic equation can be written in a form invariant under a 1+1-dimensional Lorentz group whose invariant speed is the Alfvén speed vA, rather than the fundamental speed c. We call the associated map a pseudo Alfvén–Lorentz transformation. The construction is explicitly distinguished from a physical Lorentz transformation of spacetime: it is a symmetry of a reduced characteristic equation and does not alter the spacetime metric, thecausal cone of special relativity, or the invariant speed c. We derive the transformation, its inverse, rapidity parametrization, and velocity-composition law, and identify the assumptions under which these expressions are valid. We then discuss its restricted analytical utility, including the organization of field-aligned characteristics and the construction of normalized characteristic coordinates. The discussion does not attribute unsubstantiated dynamical or experimental consequences to the map. The analysis remains restricted to the Alfvén sector of relativistic RMHD, including its homogeneous construction and the limitations arising when the Alfvén speed varies. The central result is therefore a mathematically precise reduced symmetry, not a new fundamental relativity principle. P.S. — On the Alfvén Speed in the Low-Density Limit In extremely low-density and strongly magnetized plasmas, the classical expression for the Alfvén speed may formally predict values exceeding the speed of light. This apparent superluminal behavior indicates the breakdown of the classical approximation rather than a violation of relativistic causality. Within ideal relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD), the Alfvén speed is determined by the ratio of the magnetic energy-density contribution to the sum of the matter enthalpy density and the magnetic energy-density contribution. This relativistic formulation ensures that the characteristic Alfvén speed remains below the speed of light for finite magnetization and positive matter enthalpy, approaching it asymptotically in the highly magnetized limit. This distinction is fundamental to the present study, since the proposed pseudo Alfvén–Lorentz transformation is derived exclusively from the relativistic Alfvén characteristic.
Author: SOUZA DE ASSIS, ALTAIR
Institution: Universidade Federal Fluminense
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225653657