Effect of Bohm potential on a charged gas

TL;DR

This paper investigates wave propagation in charged quantum gases using Bohm's Quantum Kinetic Equation, revealing how degeneracy affects damping and identifying a zero-sound-like phenomenon in fully degenerate fermions.

Contribution

It derives dispersion relations for charged quantum gases from Bohm's QKE, highlighting degeneracy-dependent damping and novel wave phenomena.

Findings

Damping depends on degeneracy in fermion gases

Damping is always present in boson gases

Zero-sound-like propagation in fully degenerate fermions

Abstract

Bohm's interpretation of Quantum Mechanics leads to the derivation of a Quantum Kinetic Equation (QKE): in the present work, propagation of waves in charged quantum gases is investigated starting from this QKE. Dispersion relations are derived for fully and weakly degenerate fermions and bosons (these latter above critical temperature), and the differences underlined. Use of a kinetic equation permits investigation of "Landau-type" damping: it is found that the presence of damping in fermion gases is dependent upon the degree of degeneracy, whereas it is always present in boson gases. In fully degenerate fermions a phenomenon appears that is akin to the "zero sound" propagation.