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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Non-equilibrium Microwave Plasma for Efficient High Temperature Chemistry
Published on: August 1, 2017
Molecular-dynamics simulations of electron-ion temperature relaxation in a classical Coulomb plasma
Guy Dimonte1, Jerome Daligault
1Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Abstract:
Molecular-dynamics simulations are used to investigate temperature relaxation between electrons and ions in a fully ionized, classical Coulomb plasma with minimal assumptions. Recombination is avoided by using like charges. The relaxation rate agrees with theory in the weak coupling limit (g identical with potential/kinetic energy << 1), whereas it saturates at g > 1 due to correlation effects. The "Coulomb log" is found to be independent of the ion charge (at constant g) and mass ratio > 25.
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