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Processes in relativistic plasmasThe establishment and maintenance of a Boltzmann distribution in particle kinetic energies is investigated for a plasma with theta = KTe/mc-squared much greater than unity, where m is the electron mass. It is shown that thermalization of the electron gas by binary collisions is not sufficiently effective to maintain the equilibrium distribution when other processes that perturb the equilibrium are taken into account. Electron-positron pair production in electron-electron and electron-ion collisions, and perturbations of a Boltzmann distribution by nonthermal processes are evaluated. Thermalization by means of other mechanisms, such as interaction with plasma waves is discussed, and the opacity of a relativistic plasma is computed for Compton scattering, pair production in the fields of electrons and ions, inverse bremsstrahlung, and synchrotron self-absorption.
Document ID
19820045250
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Gould, R. J.
(California, University La Jolla, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
March 15, 1982
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
82A28785
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGR-05-005-004
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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