Accurate Determination of the Shear Viscosity of the One-Component Plasma

TL;DR

This paper accurately calculates the shear viscosity of the one-component plasma using molecular dynamics simulations, providing a practical formula and validating theoretical models across different coupling regimes.

Contribution

It introduces a highly precise method for determining shear viscosity and offers a comprehensive formula applicable from weak to strong coupling regimes.

Findings

Results agree with Landau-Spitzer in weak coupling

Good agreement with Yukawa plasma results in moderate/strong coupling

Provides a practical viscosity evaluation formula

Abstract

The shear viscosity coefficient of the one-component plasma is calculated with unprecedented accuracy using equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and the Green-Kubo relation. Numerical and statistical uncertainties and their mitigation for improving accuracy are analyzed. In the weakly coupled regime, our the results agree with the Landau-Spitzer prediction. In the moderately and strongly coupled regimes, our results are found in good agreement with recent results obtained for the Yukawa one-component plasma using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics. A practical formula is provided for evaluating the viscosity coefficient across coupling regimes, from the weakly-coupled regime up to solidification threshold. The results are used to test theoretical predictions of the viscosity coefficients found in the literature.