Hamiltonian dynamics

Shepherd, T. G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6631-9968 (2026) Hamiltonian dynamics. In: Robinson, W. A. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences (Third Edition). Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 84-94. ISBN 9780323958219 doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-96026-7.00167-3

Abstract/Summary

Hamiltonian dynamics describes the evolution of conservative physical systems. Originally developed as a generalization of Newtonian mechanics, it represents a core component of any undergraduate physics curriculum. What is not so widely recognized is that the ideal (i.e. conservative) form of the governing equations used in dynamical meteorology are also Hamiltonian dynamical systems. This chapter explains how this is so, and some of the consequences that follow from this fact. It is important to be able to connect theoretical results across the hierarchy of various models used in dynamical meteorology, from the simplest to the most complex. Hamiltonian dynamics is what allows one to do precisely that.

Item Type	Book or Report Section
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/127567
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/B978-0-323-96026-7.00167-3
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Publisher	Elsevier
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