Path integral in plasma physics

Abstract

In recent years the theory of line shape broadening has considerably progressed through the various approximate models, starting all from an expression of the quantum-mechanical autocorrelation function. In this paper the results for Lyman alpha line shapes without the fine structure in the electron impact approximation are rederived using a path integral formalism. The method presented here is designed to provide a quantum formalism that will treat the ions and the electrons on the same physical basis. We therefore give an expression of the dipolar autocorrelation function taking into account the ion dynamics effects.