Physics of Strongly Coupled Plasma

Abstract

Strongly coupled plasmas (or non-ideal plasmas) are multi-component charged many-particle systems, in which the mean value of the potential energy of the system is of the same order as or even higher than the mean value of the kinetic energy. The constituents are electrons, ions, atoms and molecules. Dusty (or complex) plasmas contain still mesoscopic (multiply charged) particles.In such systems, the effects of strong coupling (non-ideality) lead to considerable deviations of physical properties from the corresponding properties of ideal plasmas, i.e., of plasmas in which the mean kinetic energy is essentially larger than the mean potential energy. For instance, bound state energies become density dependent and vanish at higher densities (Mott effect) due to the interaction of the pair with the surrounding particles. Non-ideal plasmas are of interest both for general scientific reasons (including, for example, astrophysical questions), and for technical applications such as inertially confined fusion.In spite of great efforts both experimentally and theoretically, satisfactory information on the physical properties of strongly coupled plasmas is not at hand for any temperature and density. For example, the theoretical description of non-ideal plasmas is possible only at low densities/high temperatures and at extremely high densities (high degeneracy). For intermediate degeneracy, however, numerical experiments have to fill the gap. Experiments are difficult in the region of `warm dense matter'.The monograph tries to present the state of the art concerning both theoretical and experimental attempts. It mainly includes results of the work perfomed in famous Russian laboratories in recent decades.After outlining basic concepts (chapter 1), the generation of plasmas is considered (chapter 2, chapter 3). Questions of partial (chapter 4) and full ionization (chapter 5) are discussed including Mott transition and Wigner crystallization. Electrical and optical properties are the topics of chapters 6 to 8, followed by problems of metallization (chapter 9), non-neutral and dusty plasmas (chapter 10, chapter 11). References follow after each chapter.The book is of interest for obtaining an overview of the field, and is recommended reading. However, for more detailed information on special (theoretical) topics, one should go into the literature. Little is said with respect to kinetic theory, to the theory of ionization kinetics, to stopping power, effective potentials, and to spectral lines in dense plasmas. The interaction between laser or particle beams and plasmas and the evaluation of the results discussing Hugoniots is only touched on briefly. Astrophysics is not dealt with at all. Some misprints concerning names and years in the references may cause difficulties.