Thermal reaction processes in a relativistic QED plasma drop

TL;DR

This paper investigates the size and temperature limits for equilibrium in relativistic electron-positron-photon plasma drops, determining conditions under which such plasmas are opaque and potentially experimentally realizable.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the equilibrium conditions, including opaqueness criteria, for relativistic QED plasma drops based on thermal reaction rates and mean free paths.

Findings

Equilibrium plasma drops require specific size and temperature ranges.

The opaqueness condition is crucial for plasma equilibrium.

Such plasma drops may be experimentally attainable.

Abstract

The equilibrium size and temperature limits of thermally and chemically equilibrated $e^+e^-\gamma$ plasma drops are investigated at a given energy content. For a plasma to be equilibrated it must be opaque to electron and photon interactions. The opaqueness condition is determined by comparing plasma size with the mean free electron and photon paths. We calculate those paths using thermal Lorentz-invariant reaction rates for pair production and electron(positron) and photon scattering. The range of the corresponding plasma temperature and size is evaluated numerically. Considering the energy and size we find that the opaque and equilibrated plasma drop may be experimentally attainable.