Current-conserving relativistic linear response for collisional plasmas
Affiliation
Department of Physics, The University of ArizonaIssue Date
2021-11Keywords
Collisional plasmaCurrent conservation
Electric susceptibility
Plasma physics
Polarization tensor
Metadata
Show full item recordPublisher
Elsevier BVCitation
Formanek, M., Grayson, C., Rafelski, J., & Müller, B. (2021). Current-conserving relativistic linear response for collisional plasmas. Annals of Physics, 434.Journal
Annals of PhysicsRights
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
We investigate the response of a relativistic plasma to electromagnetic fields in the framework of the Boltzmann equation incorporating a collision term in the relaxation rate approximation selected in a form assuring current conservation. We obtain an explicit solution for the linearized perturbation of the Fermi–Dirac equilibrium distribution in terms of the average relaxation rate κ. We study the resulting covariant, gauge invariant, and current conserving form of the polarization tensor in the ultrarelativistic and non-relativistic limits. We evaluate the susceptibility in the ultrarelativistic limit and explore their dependence on κ. Finally, we study the dispersion relations for the longitudinal and transverse poles of the propagator. We show that for κ>2ωp, where ωp is the plasma frequency, the plasma wave modes are overdamped. In the opposite case, κ≪ωp, the propagating plasma modes are weakly damped.Note
24 month embargo; available online: 15 September 2021ISSN
0003-4916Version
Final accepted manuscriptSponsors
U.S. Department of Energyae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.aop.2021.168605