Mechanisms for Multi-Scale Structures in Dense Degenerate Astrophysical Plasmas

TL;DR

This paper explores how multi-scale equilibrium structures form in dense degenerate plasmas, revealing mechanisms that could explain large-scale astrophysical structures and significantly impact energy transformation processes.

Contribution

It identifies two mechanisms for multi-scale structure formation in dense degenerate plasmas, including a new macro scale controlled by ion concentration and enhanced skin depths due to degeneracy effects.

Findings

Discovery of a new macro scale $L_{macro}$ in plasma structures.

Enhanced effective skin depths due to degeneracy effects.

Implications for large-scale astrophysical structures.

Abstract

Two distinct routes lead to the creation of multi--scale equilibrium structures in dense degenerate plasmas, often met in astrophysical conditions. By analyzing an e-p-i plasma consisting of degenerate electrons and positrons with a small contamination of mobile classical ions, we show the creation of a new macro scale $L_{\rm{macro}}$ (controlled by ion concentration). The temperature and degeneracy enhancement effective inertia of bulk e-p components also makes the effective skin depths larger (much larger) than the standard skin depth. The emergence of these intermediate and macro scales lends immense richness to the process of structure formation, and vastly increases the channels for energy transformations. The possible role played by this mechanism in explaining the existence of large-scale structures in astrophysical objects with degenerate plasmas, is examined.