Ionization potential depression and Fermi barrier in warm dense matter--a first--principles approach

Abstract

Ionization potential depression (IPD) is of crucial importance to understand and accurately predict the properties of dense partially ionized plasmas. Many models of IPD have been developed that, however, exhibit largely varying results. Recently, a novel approach was proposed that is based on first-principles quantum Monte Carlo simulations and that was demonstrated for hydrogen [Bonitz \textit{et al.}, Phys. Plasmas (2024)]. Here this concept is discussed in more detail. Particular attention is devoted to the Fermi barrier that electrons have to overcome upon ionization and which significantly contributes to IPD when the nuclear charge increases.

References in corpus (12)

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• The virial expansion of the Hydrogen equation of state in comparison to PIMC simulations: the quasiparticle concept, IPD, and ionization degree
• Modeling partially-ionized dense plasma using wavepacket molecular dynamics
• Ionization potential depression in degenerate plasmas and Pauli blocking of multi-electron ions