Electron collision effects on the eikonal cross-section in a warm plasma

Abstract

The electron–electron collision effects on the eikonal cross-section for the elastic electron–ion collisions are investigated in a warm plasma. The second-order eikonal method and effective interaction potential including the far-field terms caused by the electron collisions are employed to obtain the eikonal phase shift and eikonal cross-section as functions of the collision frequency, impact parameter, collision energy thermal energy and Debye length. It is shown that the major contribution of the electron collision effects is given by the second-order eikonal phase shift. It is also shown that the electron collision effects strongly suppress the total eikonal phase shift and eikonal cross-section. In addition, the electron collision effects are found to decrease with an increase in the impact parameter. It is also found that thermal effects enhance the eikonal cross-section and decrease with an increase in the impact parameter.