Elliptically polarized electromagnetic waves in a magnetized quantum electron-positron plasma with effects of exchange-correlation

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum effects like exchange-correlation influence the propagation of elliptically polarized electromagnetic waves in magnetized electron-positron plasmas, revealing dispersive properties and mode modifications.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of quantum effects on wave dispersion in electron-positron plasmas, highlighting the roles of Bohm potential, Fermi pressure, and exchange-correlation forces.

Findings

Quantum effects make the upper-hybrid, cutoff, and resonance frequencies dispersive.

Particle dispersion and exchange-correlation forces dominate differently depending on wavelength.

Modified extraordinary wave modes are identified and characterized.

Abstract

The dispersion properties of elliptically polarized electromagnetic (EM) waves in a magnetized electron-positron-pair (EP-pair) plasma are studied with the effects of particle dispersion associated with the Bohm potential, the Fermi degenerate pressure, and the exchange-correlation force. Two possible modes of the extraordinary or X wave, modified by these quantum effects, are identified and their propagation characteristics are investigated numerically. It is shown that the upper-hybrid frequency, and the cutoff and resonance frequencies are no longer constants but are dispersive due to these quantum effects. It is found that the particle dispersion and the exchange-correlation force can have different dominating roles on each other depending on whether the X waves are of short or long wavelengths (in comparison with the Fermi Debye length). The present investigation should be useful for understanding the collective behaviors of EP plasma oscillations and the propagation of extraordinary waves in magnetized dense EP-pair plasmas.