Relativistic free-free Gaunt factor of the dense high-temperature stellar plasma. II - Carbon and oxygen plasmas

Abstract

The pure Coulomb free-free Gaunt factors of the dense high-temperature carbon and oxygen plasmas arae calculated by using the accurate relativistic cross section and are compared with the Gaunt factors derived by using Sommerfeld's exact nonrelativistic cross section. A wide range of electron degeneracy is accurately taken into account. Effects from resonances in the free electron density of states are not included. Dramatic deviations from the nonrelativistic results are found for high-temperature cases. Results are presented in the form of extensive tables to facilitate applications.