Thomas-Fermi Z-scaling laws and coupling stabilization for plasmas

Area of Science:

• Plasma physics
• Computational physics

Background:

• The Thomas-Fermi Z-scaling laws are well-established for describing electron behavior in dense matter.
• Understanding ionic coupling is crucial for modeling matter under extreme conditions, such as in isochoric heating experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend Thomas-Fermi Z-scaling laws to the ionic Coulomb coupling parameter.
• To investigate the conditions and limitations for ionic coupling stabilization in isochoric heating.
• To explore the implications for high-Z elements and corresponding states.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical extension of Thomas-Fermi Z-scaling laws.
• Orbital-free molecular dynamics simulations.
• Comparison with recent experimental data on isochoric heating.

Main Results:

• Identified a specific domain (atomic number Z, temperature, density) for ionic coupling stabilization.
• Demonstrated strong limitations on high couplings, achievable only for high-Z elements.
• Quantified consequences for corresponding states using simulations.

Conclusions:

• Ionic coupling stabilization in isochoric heating is possible within a defined parameter space, particularly for high-Z elements.
• The findings provide a framework for interpreting and designing future isochoric heating experiments.
• This work bridges theoretical scaling laws with experimental observations in extreme matter physics.