Screening Effects on Electron Capture from Highly Charged Hydrogenic Ions by Protons in Dense Plasmas

Abstract

Electron capture processes by protons from highly charged hydrogenic ions in dense plasmas including dynamic screening effects are investigated using the semiclassical version of the Bohr–Lindhard model with the straight-line path. The dynamic interaction potential in dense plasmas is obtained by considering the longitudinal component of the plasma dielectric function. The scaled semiclassical electron capture probability is obtained as a function of the impact parameter, Debye length, and projectile velocity. The dynamic plasma screening effect on the scaled semiclassical electron capture probability is found to be more significant for low projectile velocities. When the projectile velocity is smaller than the electron thermal velocity, the dynamic screening effect is weaker than the static screening effect. However, when the projectile velocity is greater than the electron thermal velocity, the dynamic plasma screening effect leads to the static plasma screening effect.