BREMSSTRAHLUNG IN A DENSE PLASMA
The bremsstrahlung emitted by an electron scattered in a Coulomb field was first calculated by Bethe and Heitler. The total cross section for production of photons with wave number between k and k + dk by a nonrelativistic electron of kinetic energy {epsilon} is d{sigma}/dk dk = 16/3 Z{sup 2}r{sub 0}{sup 2} (e{sup 2}/hc) (mc{sup 2}/{epsilon})log ({radical} {epsilon}/hck + {radical} {epsilon}/hck -1) dk/k, where Ze is the charge of the (heavy) ion, and r{sub 0} is the classical electron radius. Bremsstrahlung in a plasma has been computed by a number of authors in the approximation of replacing the Coulomb field by a cut-off Coulomb or static Debye potential. It is the purpose of this communication to call attention to another important effect of the medium upon the rate of emission of bremsstrahlung. This may be described as a modification of the relation of the photon's energy to its wave number, due to the index of refraction of the medium. Equivalently, we note that one must include in the calculation of bremsstrahlung in a medium the photon-medium interactions which result in the 'clothing' of a 'bare' photon. The replacement of a particle by a quasiparticle has long been known to be important in the description of strongly interacting systems of massive particles such as liquid helium; the effect can be particularly dramatic for a photon because the medium gives a nonzero effective mass to the quasi-photon.
- Research Organization:
- Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Accelerator& Fusion Research Division
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 938783
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-10628
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Fluids, Journal Name: Physics of Fluids
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Bremsstrahlung in high energy electron-electron scattering with consideration of a structure of electrons
A study of LPM suppression of bremsstrahlung at 25 GeV
Calculation of the electron bremsstrahlung in NaI, CsI, Si, and Ge
Journal Article
·
Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1962
· Annalen der Physik (Leipzig)
·
OSTI ID:4638353
A study of LPM suppression of bremsstrahlung at 25 GeV
Conference
·
Sun Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1993
·
OSTI ID:10105454
Calculation of the electron bremsstrahlung in NaI, CsI, Si, and Ge
Journal Article
·
Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1973
· Nucl. Instrum. Methods, v. 116, no. 1, pp. 97-104
·
OSTI ID:4315981