Collective and quantum effects on elastic electron–ion collisions in strongly coupled semiclassical plasmas

Abstract

Collective plasma screening and quantum-mechanical effects on elastic electron–ion collisions in strongly coupled semiclassical plasmas are investigated using the second-order eikonal method. The effective screened potential model taking into account both the plasma screening and quantum effects is applied to describe the elastic electron–ion interactions in strongly coupled semiclassical plasmas. The impact-parameter trajectory method is applied to the path of the projectile electron in order to investigate the variation of the eikonal cross section as a function of the impact parameter, thermal de Broglie wavelength, Debye length, and collision energy. It is found that the collective plasma screening and quantum effects reduce the elastic electron–ion scattering cross section for small impact parameters. However, the quantum effects are found to be less important than the plasma screening effects for large impact parameters.