Plasma polarization in massive astrophysical objects

Abstract

Macroscopic plasma polarization, which is created by gravitation and other mass-acting (inertial) forces in massive astrophysical objects (MAOs), is under discussion. A non-ideality effect due to strong Coulomb interaction of charged particles is introduced into consideration as a new source of such polarization. A simplified situation of a totally equilibrium isothermal star without relativistic effects and influence of magnetic field is considered. The study is based on a density functional approach combined with a ‘local density approximation’. It leads to conditions of constancy for generalized (electro) chemical potentials and/or conditions of equilibrium for the forces acting on each charged species. A new ‘non-ideality force’ appears in this consideration. Hypothetical sequences of gravitational, inertial and non-ideality polarization on thermo- and hydrodynamics of MAO are under discussion.