Quantum uncertainty in weakly non-ideal astrophysical plasma

Abstract

Galitskii and Yakimets showed that in dense or low temperature plasma, due to quantum uncertainty effect, the particle distribution function over momenta acquires a power-like tail even under conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium. We show that in weakly non-ideal plasmas, like the solar interior, both non-extensivity and quantum uncertainty should be taken into account to derive equilibrium ion distribution functions and to estimate nuclear reaction rates and solar neutrino fluxes. The order of magnitude of the deviation from the standard Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution can be derived microscopically by considering the presence of random electrical microfield in the stellar plasma. We show that such a nonextensive statistical effect can be very relevant in many nuclear astrophysical problems.

Systematic Quantum Corrections to Screening in Thermonuclear Fusion

“…Screening of Coulomb repulsion between nuclei at extremely short distances is one of them. Many calculations of screening have been made since Salpeter's original paper, attempting to refine the degree of screening 5,6,7 , dynamic effects 8 , quantum fluctuations 3,9 , etc 10 . Here we shall focus on quantum corrections to screening.…”