Beyond linear gyrocenter polarization in gyrokinetic theory

The concept of polarization in gyrokinetic theory is clarified and generalized to include contributions from the guiding-center (zeroth-order) polarization as well as the nonlinear (second-order) gyrocenter polarization. The guiding-center polarization, which appears as the antecedent (zeroth-order) of the standard linear (first-order) gyrocenter polarization, is obtained from a modified guiding-center transformation. The nonlinear gyrocenter polarization is derived either variationally from the third-order gyrocenter Hamiltonian or directly by gyrocenter push-forward method.