Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026

Building Langmuir Probes and Emissive Probes for Plasma Potential Measurements in Low Pressure, Low Temperature Plasmas
Published on: May 25, 2021
Binding energy levels of a slowly moving ion in quantum plasmas
Hongwei Hu1, Fuli Li, Chenwei Jiang
1Department of Applied Physics, Xian Jiaotong University, People's Republic of China. phyhu@126.com
Abstract:
Electrostatic potential of a slowly moving ion in quantum plasmas is studied. This potential is composed of the Debye-Hückel potential and the wake potential. The near-field-wake potential is found. The binding energy levels of one-electron bound states of the ion are calculated by use of the Ritz variation method. The trial wave function contains three variational parameters. The presence of the wake field splits the binding energy levels. This effect is analogous to the Zeeman effect. The removal of the degeneracy of binding energy levels is influenced by the speed of ion and the number density of electrons. Compared with binding energy levels of a free ion, some binding energy levels of a moving ion in quantum plasmas are "pushed up."
Related Concept Videos
The Energies of Atomic Orbitals
Ionization Energy
Energy Bands in Solids
Band Formation:
When atoms are brought close together, as in a solid, these discrete energy levels begin to split due to the overlap of electron orbitals from adjacent atoms. This split occurs because of the Pauli exclusion principle, which states...
Nuclear Binding Energy
The Bohr Model
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview

