Hydrodynamics of spin-polarized transport and spin pendulum

The dynamics of a nonequilibrium spin system dominated by collisions preserving the total quasimomentum of the interacting electrons and quasiparticles is considered. An analysis of the derived hydrodynamic equations shows that weakly attenuated spin-polarization waves associated with an oscillating drift current can exist in a magnetically inhomogeneous conducting ring. Spin-polarized transport in a ballistic regime of wave propagation through a conductor is also considered, and a simple method is proposed for distinguishing these waves from spin and current oscillations that develop in the hydrodynamic regime. It is shown that a potential difference arises between the leads of an open nonuniformly spin-polarized conductor as a manifestation of spin polarization of electron density. This spin-mediated electrical phenomenon occurs in both hydrodynamic and diffusive limits.