Response to criticism of electrostatic attraction of like-charged macroparticles inside plasma

Abstract

We respond to criticism of the electrostatic attraction of the like-charged macroparticles inside plasma. The possibility of mutual attraction of like-charged macroparticles placed into the electroneutral plasma of ions and electrons is proven herein, provided that the volume charge, compensating the macroparticles' charge so that the system of charged particles is completely electroneutral, is placed into the same plasma. Only repulsive forces work in the absence of the compensation charge between the macroparticles. To prove this, we calculated the interaction force on the basis of the Maxwell tension tensor, and the Helmholtz free energy calculation with its subsequent analysis on the existence of extrema.