An Effective Potential Theory for Transport Coefficients Across Coupling Regimes

TL;DR

This paper introduces an effective potential theory for plasma transport coefficients that seamlessly covers weak to strong coupling regimes, validated against simulations and experiments.

Contribution

It develops a physically motivated, self-consistent model using an effective potential to evaluate plasma transport coefficients across all coupling regimes.

Findings

Good agreement with molecular dynamics simulations of temperature relaxation.

Accurate modeling of self-diffusion in one component plasmas.

Versatile approach applicable to various transport coefficients.

Abstract

A plasma transport theory that spans weak to strong coupling is developed from a binary collision picture, but where the interaction potential is taken to be an effective potential that includes correlation effects and screening self-consistently. This physically motivated approach provides a practical model for evaluating transport coefficients across coupling regimes. The theory is shown to compare well with classical molecular dynamics simulations of temperature relaxation in electron-ion plasmas, as well as simulations and experiments of self-diffusion in one component plasmas. The approach is versatile and can be applied to other transport coefficients as well.