Cluster virial expansion for the equation of state of partially ionized hydrogen plasma

Journal Article · Sun Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVE.82.026407· OSTI ID:21476438

Omarbakiyeva, Y A ^[1]; Fortmann, C ^[2]; Ramazanov, T S ^[3]; Roepke, G ^[1]

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1. Institute of Physics, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock (Germany)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)
3. IETP, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 96a, Tole bi St., Almaty 050012 (Kazakhstan)

We study the contribution of electron-atom interaction to the equation of state for partially ionized hydrogen plasma using the cluster-virial expansion. We use the Beth-Uhlenbeck approach to calculate the second virial coefficient for the electron-atom (bound cluster) pair from the corresponding scattering phase shifts and binding energies. Experimental scattering cross-sections as well as phase shifts calculated on the basis of different pseudopotential models are used as an input for the Beth-Uhlenbeck formula. By including Pauli blocking and screening in the phase shift calculation, we generalize the cluster-virial expansion in order to cover also near solid density plasmas. We present results for the electron-atom contribution to the virial expansion and the corresponding equation of state, i.e. pressure, composition, and chemical potential as a function of density and temperature. These results are compared with semiempirical approaches to the thermodynamics of partially ionized plasmas. Avoiding any ill-founded input quantities, the Beth-Uhlenbeck second virial coefficient for the electron-atom interaction represents a benchmark for other, semiempirical approaches.

• OSTI ID: 21476438
• Journal Information: Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print), Journal Name: Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 82; ISSN 1539-3755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOM COLLISIONS
BINDING ENERGY
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-ATOM COLLISIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF STATE
EXPANSION
FERMIONS
HYDROGEN
LEPTONS
NONMETALS
PHASE SHIFT
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA EXPANSION
THERMODYNAMICS