N-body description of Debye shielding and Landau damping

TL;DR

This paper refines the N-body approach to plasma phenomena, providing a simpler derivation of the fundamental equations for Debye shielding and Landau damping, and compares it with classical methods.

Contribution

It offers a more rigorous and simplified derivation of the electrostatic potential equation in plasma physics, enhancing understanding of Debye shielding and Landau damping.

Findings

New derivation of the fundamental equation for electrostatic potential

Comparison shows advantages over Pines and Bohm's classical approach

Discussion of physical implications of the new approach

Abstract

This paper brings further insight into the recently published N-body description of Debye shielding and Landau damping [Escande D F, Elskens Y and Doveil F 2014 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 57 025017]. Its fundamental equation for the electrostatic potential is derived in a simpler and more rigorous way. Various physical consequences of the new approach are discussed, and this approach is compared with the seminal one by Pines and Bohm [Pines D and Bohm D 1952 Phys. Rev. 85 338--353].