Semi-relativistic effects in spin-1/2 quantum plasmas

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantum kinetic theory for spin-1/2 plasmas that incorporates semi-relativistic effects like spin-orbit coupling and Zitterbewegung, advancing understanding of dense, relativistic plasma behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a novel kinetic framework that combines relativistic corrections with quantum spin effects for plasma modeling.

Findings

Formulated a quantum kinetic theory including semi-relativistic effects.

Analyzed the impact of spin-orbit coupling and Zitterbewegung on plasma dynamics.

Discussed potential applications in dense plasma research.

Abstract

Emerging possibilities for creating and studying novel plasma regimes, e.g. relativistic plasmas and dense systems, in a controlled laboratory environment also requires new modeling tools for such systems. This brings motivation for theoretical studies of the kinetic theory governing the dynamics of plasmas for which both relativistic and quantum effects occur simultaneously. Here, we investigate relativistic corrections to the Pauli Hamiltonian in the context of a scalar kinetic theory for spin-1/2 quantum plasmas. In particular, we formulate a quantum kinetic theory that takes such effects as spin-orbit coupling and Zitterbewegung into account for the collective motion of electrons. We discuss the implications and possible applications of our findings.