Slow and fast micro-field components in warm and dense hydrogen plasmas

TL;DR

This study investigates the statistical properties of local electric fields in warm, dense hydrogen plasmas using molecular dynamics simulations, revealing significant differences from traditional static models and implications for spectral line broadening.

Contribution

First direct statistical analysis of local electric fields in warm, dense hydrogen plasmas using ab initio MD simulations, distinguishing slow and fast components.

Findings

Large differences from static screened field models

Identification of slow and fast fluctuation components

Implications for spectral line broadening in dense plasmas

Abstract

The aim of this work is the investigation of the statistical properties of local electric fields in an ion-electron two component plasmas for coupled conditions. The stochastic fields at a charged or at a neutral point in plasmas involve both slow and fast fluctuation characteristics. The statistical study of these local fields based on a direct time average is done for the first time. For warm and dense plasma conditions, typically $N_{e}\approx 10^{18}cm^{-3}$, $% T_{e}\approx 1eV$, well controlled molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of neutral hydrogen, protons and electrons have been carried out. Relying on these \textit{ab initio} MD calculations this work focuses on an analysis of the concepts of statistically independent slow and fast local field components, based on the consideration of a time averaged electric field. Large differences are found between the results of these MD simulations and corresponding standard results based on static screened fields. The effects discussed are of importance for physical phenomena connected with stochastic electric field fluctuations, e.g., for spectral line broadening in dense plasmas.