Diffusion in a strongly coupled magnetized plasma

TL;DR

This study investigates how diffusion behaves in a strongly coupled magnetized plasma, revealing that both perpendicular and parallel diffusion coefficients scale as 1/B in strong magnetic fields, with notable differences from weakly coupled plasma predictions.

Contribution

It provides the first-principles analysis of diffusion scaling in strongly coupled plasmas under magnetic fields, highlighting differences from weakly coupled plasma models.

Findings

Perpendicular diffusion exhibits Bohm-like 1/B scaling in strong fields.

Parallel diffusion also approaches 1/B scaling, contrary to earlier theories.

Diffusion behavior differs significantly from weakly coupled plasma predictions.

Abstract

A first-principle study of diffusion in a strongly coupled one-component plasma in a magnetic field B is presented. As in a weakly coupled plasma, the diffusion coefficient perpendicular to the field exhibits a Bohm-like 1/B-behavior in the strong-field limit, but its overall scaling is substantially different. The diffusion coefficient parallel to the field is strongly affected by the field as well and also approaches a 1/B scaling, in striking contrast to earlier predictions.