PAIR CORRELATION IN A PLASMA

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1962 · Physics of Fluids (U.S.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1706616· OSTI ID:4801734

Wolff, P A

A technique due to Dupree is used to investigate the pair correlation function in a dilute, uniform, quiescent plasma. It is demonstrated that his formal expression for the pair function may be evaluated in many cases of physical interest. In equilibrium one obtains the usual Debye-Huckel result, which may be generalized to the case of a plasma having different temperatures in different directions. A Lorentzian-type velocity distribution gives rise to a correlation function containing less than unit screening charge. It is shown that such behavior is only to be expected for velocity distributions that approach zero rather slowly in the limit of large velocity. Finally, a Druyvesteyn-type distribution is investigated and shown to lead to a pair function that falls off somewhat more slowly, and has a different form, from that of the Debye-Huckel theory. (auth)

• Research Organization: Bell Telephone Labs., Inc., Murray Hill, N.J.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-16-014171
• OSTI ID: 4801734
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids (U.S.), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 5; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CONFIGURATION
CORRELATION
DEBYE-HUECKEL THEORY
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRIC CHARGES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTROLYTES
PHYSICS
PLASMA
STATISTICS
TEMPERATURE
THERMODYNAMICS
VELOCITY