Weakly-coupled Plasma Research Articles

Confined hydrogenlike ions in plasma environments

The behavior of H-like ions embedded in astrophysical plasmas in the form of \emph{dense, strongly and weakly coupled} plasmas are investigated. In these, the increase and decrease in temperature is impacted with a change in confinement radius $(r_{c})$. Two independent and generalized scaling ideas have been applied to modulate the effect of plasma screening constant ($\lambda$) and charge of ion ($Z$) on such systems. Several new relations are derived to interconnect the original Hamiltonian and two scaled Hamiltonians. In exponential cosine screened Coulomb potential (ECSCP) (dense) and weakly coupled plasma (WCP) these scaling relations have provided a linear equation connecting the critical screening constant $(\lambda^{(c)})$ and $Z$. Their ratio offers a state-dependent constant, beyond which, a particular state vanishes. Shannon entropy has been employed to understand the plasma effect on the ion. With increase in $\lambda$, the accumulation of opposite charge surrounding the ion increases leading to a reduction in number of bound states. However, with rise in ionic charge $Z$, this effect can be delayed. The competing effect of plasma charge density ($n_e$) and temperature in WCP and ECSCP is investigated. A recently proposed simple virial-like theorem has been established for these systems. Multipole ($k=1-4$) oscillator strength (OS) and polarizabilities for these are studied considering $1s, 2s$ states. As a bonus, analytical closed-form expressions are derived for $f^{(k)}$ and $\alpha^{(k)} (k=1-4)$ involving $1s$ and $2s$ state, for \emph{free H-like ion}.

Kinetic model for electron-ion transport in warm dense matter.

We present a model for electron-ion transport in warm dense matter that incorporates Coulomb coupling effects into the quantum Boltzmann equation of Uehling and Uhlenbeck through the use of a statistical potential of mean force. Although the model presented here can be derived rigorously in the classical limit [S. D. Baalrud and J. Daligault, Phys. Plasmas 26, 082106 (2019)PHPAEN1070-664X10.1063/1.5095655], its quantum generalization is complicated by the uncertainty principle. Here we apply an existing model for the potential of mean force based on the quantum Ornstein-Zernike equation coupled with an average-atom model [C. E. Starrett, High Energy Density Phys. 25, 8 (2017)1574-181810.1016/j.hedp.2017.09.003]. This potential contains correlations due to both Coulomb coupling and exchange, and the collision kernel of the kinetic theory enforces Pauli blocking while allowing for electron diffraction and large-angle collisions. We use the Uehling-Uhlenbeck equation to predict the momentum and temperature relaxation times and electrical conductivity of solid density aluminum plasma based on electron-ion collisions. We present results for density and temperature conditions that span the transition from classical weakly-coupled plasma to degenerate moderately-coupled plasma. Our findings agree well with recent quantum molecular dynamics simulations.

Structural properties of Li atom under quantum and classical plasmas: A composite variational framework

AbstractStructural properties of 1s2nl (2L) [n = 2–5, l = 0–4; where, n and l are the principal quantum number and orbital angular momentum quantum number, respectively] states of Li atom embedded in classical weakly coupled plasma (WCP) and dense quantum plasma (DQP) have been discussed. The Debye‐Hckel potential or the screened‐Coulomb potential (SCP) and exponential‐cosine‐screened Coulomb potential (ECSCP) have been used to mimic the WCP and DQP, respectively. Li atom has been treated as a composite system with a frozen core Li+ ion and a chemically active valence electron. The Rayleigh‐Ritz variational method with Hylleraas‐type basis set has been used to estimate the energy eigenvalue of 1s2 (1S) state of Li+ ion core and a pure exponential basis has been considered to compute the energy of nl (2L) states of the valence electron of Li atom. The influence of ECSCP and SCP on the radial probability distribution of the valence electron of the Li atom has also been studied.

Doubly Excited 1,3Fe States of Two-Electron Atoms under Weakly Coupled Plasma Environment**Supported under Grant No. EMR/2017/000737 from DST-SERB, Govt. of India, Grant No. 23(Sanc.)/ST/P/S&T/16G-35/2017 from DHESTB, Govt. of West Bengal, India, and by the DHESTB, Govt. of West Bengal, India under Grant No. 249(Sanc.)/ST/P/S&T/16G-26/2017

Precise energy eigenvalues of metastable bound doubly excited 1,3Fe states originating from 2pnf (n = 4–6) configuration of helium-like ions (Z = 2–4) under weakly coupled plasma (WCP) environment have been estimated within the framework of Ritz variational method. The wavefunction is expanded in explicitly correlated Hylleraas type basis set. The screened Coulomb potential is considered mimic the WCP environment. The atomic systems tend towards gradual instability and the number of excited metastable bound states reduces with increasing plasma strength. The wavelengths corresponding to 2pnf (1,3Fe) → 2pn′d (1,3Do) (n = 4–6; n′ = 3–6) transitions occurring between doubly excited states of plasma embedded two-electron ions are also reported.

Particle-in-cell studies of fast-ion slowing-down rates in cool tenuous magnetized plasma

We report on 3D-3V particle-in-cell simulations of fast-ion energy-loss rates in a cold, weakly-magnetized, weakly-coupled plasma where the electron gyroradius, ρe, is comparable to or less than the Debye length, λDe, and the fast-ion velocity exceeds the electron thermal velocity, a regime in which the electron response may be impeded. These simulations use explicit algorithms, spatially resolve ρe and λDe, and temporally resolve the electron cyclotron and plasma frequencies. For mono-energetic dilute fast ions with isotropic velocity distributions, these scaling studies of the slowing-down time, τs, versus fast-ion charge are in agreement with unmagnetized slowing-down theory; with an applied magnetic field, no consistent anisotropy between τs in the cross-field and field-parallel directions could be resolved. Scaling the fast-ion charge is confirmed as a viable way to reduce the required computational time for each simulation. The implications of these slowing down processes are described for one magnetic-confinement fusion concept, the small, advanced-fuel, field-reversed configuration device.

Analytic expressions for electron-ion temperature equilibration rates from the Lenard-Balescu equation.

In this work, we elucidate the mathematical structure of the integral that arises when computing the electron-ion temperature equilibration time for a homogeneous weakly coupled plasma from the Lenard-Balescu equation. With some minor approximations, we derive an analytic formula, requiring no input Coulomb logarithm, for the equilibration rate that is valid for moderate electron-ion temperature ratios and arbitrary electron degeneracy. For large temperature ratios, we derive the necessary correction to account for the coupled-mode effect, which can be evaluated very efficiently using ordinary Gaussian quadrature.

Gravitational Instability of Cylindrical Viscoelastic Medium Permeated with Non Uniform Magnetic Field and Rotation

The self-gravitating instability of an infinitely extending axisymmetric cylinder of viscoelastic medium permeated with non uniform magnetic field and rotation is studied for both the strongly coupled plasma (SCP) and weakly coupled plasma (WCP). The non uniform magnetic field and rotation are considered to act along the axial direction of the cylinder. The normal mode method of perturbations is applied to obtain the dispersion relation. The condition for the onset of gravitational instability has been derived from the dispersion relation under both strongly and weakly coupling limits. It is found that the Jeans criterion for gravitational collapse gets modified due to the presence of shear and bulk viscosities for the SCP, however, the magnetic field and rotation whether uniform or non uniform has no effect on the Jeans criterion of an infinitely extending axisymmetric cylinder of a self-gravitating viscoelastic medium.

Effect of rotation on the growth rate of magnetogravitational instability of a viscoelastic medium

In the present paper, we investigate the effect of rotation on the onset of gravitational collapse and the growth rate of magnetogravitational instability of a finitely electrically conducting viscoelastic medium under both strongly and weakly coupled plasma limits for transverse and longitudinal modes of wave propagation. A general dispersion relation, which is uniformly valid for both the transverse and longitudinal mode of wave propagation, is obtained using the normal mode analysis method. It is observed that the rotation has no effect on the instability criterion which governs the onset of gravitational collapse of the viscoelastic medium in the presence of a magnetic field for either the longitudinal or transverse mode of wave propagation in strongly coupled plasma (SCP) or weakly coupled plasma (WCP). Furthermore, the effects of rotation (Coriolis force), finite electrical resistivity and shear viscosity on the growth rate of Jeans instability in both SCP and WCP for transverse modes of propagation have been numerically calculated and the results obtained are depicted graphically. From these results, we concluded that the rotation reduces the growth rate of Jeans instability.

Next-to-leading order thermal photon production in a weakly-coupled plasma

We summarize the recent determination to next-to-leading order of the thermal photon rate at weak coupling. We emphasize how it can be expressed in terms of gauge-invariant condensates on the light cone, which are amenable to novel sum rules and Euclidean techniques. For the phenomenologically interesting value of alpha_s=0.3, the NLO correction represents a 20% increase and has a functional form similar to the LO result.

Is It Hard Yet? The Qualitative Agreement of pQCD Energy Loss with RHIC and LHC Data

Heavy flavor research is a vigorous and active topic in high-energy QCD physics. Comparing theoretical predictions to data as a function of flavor provides a unique opportunity to tease out properties of quark-gluon plasma. We explicitly demonstrate this utility with energy loss predictions based on the assumption of 1) a weakly-coupled plasma weakly coupled to a high-pT probe using pQCD and 2) a strongly-coupled plasma strongly coupled to a high-pT probe using AdS/CFT; we find that while the former enjoys broad qualitative agreement with data, it is difficult to reconcile the latter with experimental measurements.

Heavy Quark Production and Energy Loss

Heavy flavor research is a vigorous and active topic in high-energy QCD physics. Comparing theoretical predictions to data as a function of flavor provides a unique opportunity to tease out properties of quark-gluon plasma. We explicitly demonstrate this utility with energy loss predictions based on the assumption of 1) a weakly-coupled plasma weakly coupled to a high-pT probe using pQCD and 2) a strongly-coupled plasma strongly coupled to a high-pT probe using AdS/CFT; we find that while the former enjoys broad qualitative agreement with data, it is difficult to reconcile the latter with experimental measurements.

Self-gravitational instability in magnetized finitely conducting viscoelastic fluid

The linear self-gravitational instability of finitely conducting, magnetized viscoelastic fluid is investigated using the modified generalized hydrodynamic (GH) model. A general dispersion relation is obtained with the help of linearized perturbation equations using the normal mode analysis and it is discussed for longitudinal and transverse modes of propagation. In longitudinal propagation, we find that Alfven mode is uncoupled with the gravitating mode. The Jeans criterion of instability is determined which depends upon shear viscosity and bulk viscosity while it is independent of magnetic field. The viscoelastic effects modify the fundamental Jeans criterion of gravitational instability. In transverse mode of propagation, the Alfven mode couples with the acoustic mode, compressional viscoelastic mode and gravitating mode. The growth rate of Jeans instability is compared in weakly coupled plasma (WCP) and strongly coupled plasma (SCP) which is larger for SCP in both the modes of propagations. The presence of finite electrical resistivity removes the effect of magnetic field in the condition of Jeans instability and expression of critical Jeans wavenumber. It is found that Mach number and shear viscosity has stabilizing while finite electrical resistivity has destabilizing influence on the growth rate of Jeans instability.

Positron scattering from hydrogen atom embedded in weakly-coupled plasmas

Elastic scattering of positrons from the hydrogen atoms in weakly-coupled plasmas has been studied using an expression for partial wave scattering amplitude that has been derived within the framework second order distorted wave Born approximation. The interactions among the charged particles in the plasma have been represented by Debye-Huckel potentials. A detailed study has been made on differential and total cross sections in the energy range 20–300 eV. To the best of our knowledge such a study on the differential and total cross sections for elastic positron-hydrogen collisions in a weakly-coupled plasma environment is reported for the first time in the literature.

Helioseismology: the Sun as a Strongly-Constrained, Weakly-Coupled Plasma

AbstractAccurate measurements of observed frequencies of solar oscillations are providing a wealth of data on the properties of the solar interior. The frequencies depend on the solar structure, and on the properties of the plasma in the Sun. Except in the very outer layers, the stratification of the convection zone is almost adiabatic. There, the sound-speed profile is governed principally by the specific entropy, the (homogenous) chemical composition and the equation of state. It is therefore essentially independent of the uncertainties in the radiative opacities. The sensitivity of the observed frequencies is such that it enables to distinguish rather subtle features of the equation of state. An example is the signature of the heavy elements in the equation of state. This opens the possibility to use the Sun as a laboratory for thermodynamic properties.

Self-diffusion for a weakly-coupled plasma in a magnetic field

Abstract The longitudinal self-diffusion coefficient for a magnetized plasma with small plasma parameter is calculated from kinetic theory in the weak-coupling approximation. Asymptotic expressions for this coefficient are derived in the limits of weak and of strong magnetic field. For intermediate strength of the magnetic field numerical results are presented.