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Physics of nonmagnetic relativistic thermal plasmas

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5927135
A detailed treatment of the kinematics of relativistic systems of particles and photons is presented. In the case of a relativistic Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of particles, the reaction rate and luminosity are written as single integrals over the invariant cross section, and the production spectrum is written as a double integral over the cross section differential in the energy of the produced particles (or photons) in the center-of-momentum system of two colliding particles. The results are applied to the calculation of the annihilation spectrum of a thermal electron-positron plasma, confirming previous numerical and analytic results. Relativistic thermal electron-ion and electron-electron bremsstrahlung are calculated exactly to lowest order, and relativistic thermal electron-positron bremsstrahlung is calculated in an approximate fashion. An approximate treatment of relativistic Comptonization is developed. The question of thermalization of a relativistic plasma is considered. A formula for the energy loss or exchange rate from the interaction of two relativistic Maxwell-Boltzmann plasmas at different temperatures is derived. Application to a stable, uniform, nonmagnetic relativistic thermal plasma is made. Comparison is made with other studies.
Research Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
OSTI ID:
5927135
Report Number(s):
N-84-35107; NASA-TM-86154
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

640100* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANNIHILATION
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
ASTROPHYSICS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BOLTZMANN STATISTICS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COMPTON EFFECT
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY LOSSES
FERMIONS
INTERACTIONS
KINETICS
LEPTONS
LOSSES
LUMINOSITY
MASSLESS PARTICLES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
POSITRONS
RADIATIONS
REACTION KINETICS
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
SCATTERING
SLOWING-DOWN
THERMALIZATION