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On the Ion Distribution Function in Degenerate Electron Plasmas

Kohei SUGITA, Hideaki MATSUURA and Yasuyuki NAKAO

Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan

(Received 31 May 2012 / Accepted 7 September 2012 / Published 22 May 2013)

Abstract

In highly-compressed plasmas as realized in inertial confinement fusion, the wave nature of electrons becomes noticeable and Pauli's exclusion principle restricts the energy transition of electrons remarkably. Such a state is called “electron degeneracy”. In addition, the electron degeneracy may affect the energy distribution and temperature of coexisting ions through Coulombic ion-electron interaction. In order to evaluate these effects, we developed and solved the model equation for the distribution function of ions in degenerate electron plasmas. As a result, it is shown that the ion distribution function maintains a Maxwellian form at a temperature equal to that of degenerate electrons in thermal equilibrium because two effects of electron degeneracy–spectral hardening and Pauli blocking–counteract each other. Furthermore the electron degeneracy slows temperature relaxation between ions and electrons in non-thermal equilibrium.

Copyright (c) 2013 The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research

Keywords

ion distribution function, ion temperature, electron degeneracy, ultra-high density plasma, Coulombic interaction, Pauli blocking

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.8.3404050

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References

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Kohei SUGITA, Hideaki MATSUURA and Yasuyuki NAKAO, Plasma Fusion Res. 8, 3404050 (2013).