Shielding of a moving test charge in a quantum plasma

The linearized potential of a moving test charge in a one-component fully degenerate fermion plasma is studied using the Lindhard dielectric function. The motion is found to greatly enhance the Friedel oscillations behind the charge, especially for velocities larger than half of the Fermi velocity,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics Vol. 82; no. 2 Pt 2; p. 026410
Main Authors Else, D, Kompaneets, R, Vladimirov, S V
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.08.2010
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:The linearized potential of a moving test charge in a one-component fully degenerate fermion plasma is studied using the Lindhard dielectric function. The motion is found to greatly enhance the Friedel oscillations behind the charge, especially for velocities larger than half of the Fermi velocity, in which case the asymptotic behavior of their amplitude changes from 1/r3 to 1/r2.5. In the absence of the quantum recoil (tunneling) the potential reduces to a form similar to that in a classical Maxwellian plasma, with a difference being that the plasma oscillations behind the charge at velocities larger than the Fermi velocity are not Landau damped.
ISSN:1550-2376
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevE.82.026410