The limit of strong ion coupling due to electron shielding
arXiv:1212.5113 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.87.033101
Abstract
We show that strong coupling between ions in an ultracold neutral plasma is limited by electron screening. While electron screening reduces the quasi-equilibrium ion temperature, it also reduces the ion-ion electrical potential energy. The net result is that the ratio of nearest-neighbor potential energy to kinetic energy in quasi-equilibrium is constant and limited to approximately 2 unless the electrons are heated by some external source. We support these conclusions by reporting new measurements of the ion velocity distribution in an ultracold neutral calcium plasma. These results match previously reported simulations of Yukawa systems. Theoretical considerations are used to determine the screened nearest-neighbor potential energy in the plasma.
Submitted to Phys. Rev. E
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- Coupling Strength in Coulomb and Yukawa One-Component Plasmas
- Strongly Coupled Plasmas via Rydberg-Blockade of Cold Atoms
- Ion Temperature Evolution in an Ultracold Neutral Plasma
- Demonstrating Universal Scaling in Quench Dynamics of a Yukawa One-Component Plasma
- Ion friction at small values of the Coulomb logarithm
- Influence of Electron Evaporative Cooling on Ultracold Plasma Expansion
- Spiral waves in driven strongly coupled Yukawa systems
- Expansion of Ultracold Neutral Plasmas with Exponentially Decaying Density Distributions
- Elastic properties of three-dimensional Yukawa or dust crystals from molecular dynamics simulations
- A scalable theoretical mean-field model for the electron component of an ultracold neutral plasma
- Magnetic Confinement of an Ultracold Neutral Plasma
- The Effect of Magnetization on Electron Heating in Low-Density Ultracold Neutral Plasmas