Novel features of electromagnetic waves in an isotropic degenerate electron-ion plasma

Within the framework of kinetic theory, the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic waves (EMWs) with a degenerate electron-ion plasma is studied to account for the electron quantum mechanical effects. For this purpose, a specific quantum regime is considered, for which the degenerate electron Fermi velocity is assumed to be taken of the order of group velocity of EMWs. This eventually leads to the existence of nonlinear Landau damping rate for the EMWs in the presence of electron Ponderomotive force. The electrons-ion density oscillations may be arisen from the nonlinear interaction of EMWs, leading to a new type of nonlinear Schrödinger equation in terms of a complex amplitude for electromagnetic pump wave. The profiles of nonlinear damping rate reveal that EMWs become less damped for increasing the quantum tunnelling effects. The electrostatic response for the linear electrostatic waves is also investigated and derived a linear dispersion for the ion-acoustic damping rate. The latter is a direct function of electron Fermi speed and does not rely on the Bohm tunneling effect. The obtained results are numerically analyzed for the two microwaves of different harmonics in the context of nonrelativistic astrophysical dense plasma environments, e.g., white dwarfs, where the electron quantum corrections cannot be ignored.

Cylindrical and Spherical Nucleus-Acoustic Solitary and Shock Waves in Degenerate Electron-Nucleus Plasmas

The basic characteristics of cylindrical as well as spherical solitary and shock waves in degenerate electron-nucleus plasmas are theoretically investigated. The electron species is assumed to be cold, ultra-relativistically degenerate, negatively charged gas, whereas the nucleus species is considered a cold, non-degenerate, positively charged, viscous fluid. The reductive perturbation technique is utilized in order to reduce the basic equations (governing the degenerate electron-nucleus plasmas under consideration) to the modified Korteweg-de Vries and Burgers equations. The latter are numerically solved and analyzed to detect the basic characteristics of solitary and shock waves in such electron-nucleus plasmas. The nonlinear nucleus-acoustic waves are found to be propagated in the form of solitary as well as shock waves in such degenerate electron-nucleus plasmas. Their basic properties as well as their time evolution are significantly modified by the effects of cylindrical as well as spherical geometries. The results of this study is expected to be applicable not only to astrophysical compact objects, but also to ultra-cold dense plasmas produced in laboratory.

Planar and non-planar nucleus-acoustic solitary waves in warm degenerate multi-nucleus plasmas

A warm degenerate plasma (containing ultra-relativistically or non-relativistically warm degenerate inertia-less electron species, non-relativistically warm degenerate inertial light nucleus species and stationary heavy nucleus species) is considered. The basic features of planar and non-planar solitary structures associated with the degenerate pressure-driven nucleus-acoustic waves propagating in such a warm degenerate plasma system are investigated. The reductive perturbation method, which is valid for small- but finite-amplitude solitary waves, is used. It is found that the effects of non-planar cylindrical and spherical geometries, non- and ultra-relativistically degenerate electron species and the temperature of degenerate electron species significantly modify the basic features (i.e. speed, amplitude and width) of the solitary potential structures associated with degenerate pressure-driven nucleus-acoustic waves. The warm degenerate plasma model under consideration is applicable not only to all cold white dwarfs, but also to many hot white dwarfs, such as DQ white dwarfs, white dwarf H1504+65, white dwarf PG 0948+534, etc.

Thermal resistivity and hydrodynamics of the degenerate electron fluid in antimony

Detecting hydrodynamic fingerprints in the flow of electrons in solids constitutes a dynamic field of investigation in contemporary condensed matter physics. Most attention has been focused on the regime near the degeneracy temperature when the thermal velocity can present a spatially modulated profile. Here, we report on the observation of a hydrodynamic feature in the flow of quasi-ballistic degenerate electrons in bulk antimony. By scrutinizing the temperature dependence of thermal and electric resistivities, we detect a size-dependent departure from the Wiedemann-Franz law, unexpected in the momentum-relaxing picture of transport. This observation finds a natural explanation in the hydrodynamic picture, where upon warming, momentum-conserving collisions reduce quadratically in temperature both viscosity and thermal diffusivity. This effect has been established theoretically and experimentally in normal-state liquid 3He. The comparison of electrons in antimony and fermions in 3He paves the way to a quantification of momentum-conserving fermion-fermion collision rate in different Fermi liquids.