By numerically solving the relativistic Boltzmann equations, we compute the time scale for relaxation to thermal equilibrium for an optically thick electron-positron plasma with baryon loading. We focus on the time scales of electromagnetic interactions. The collisional integrals are obtained directly from the corresponding QED matrix elements. Thermalization time scales are computed for a wide range of values of both the total-energy density (over 10 orders of magnitude) and of the baryonic loading parameter (over 6 orders of magnitude). This also allows us to study such interesting limiting cases as the almost purely electron-positron plasma or electron-proton plasma as well as intermediate cases. These results appear to be important both for laboratory experiments aimed at generating optically thick pair plasmas as well as for astrophysical models in which electron-positron pair plasmas play a relevant role. © 2010 The American Physical Society.

Pair plasma relaxation time scales / A. G., Aksenov; Ruffini, Remo; G. V., Vereshchagin. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS. - ISSN 1539-3755. - 81:4(2010). [10.1103/physreve.81.046401]

Pair plasma relaxation time scales

RUFFINI, Remo;
2010

Abstract

By numerically solving the relativistic Boltzmann equations, we compute the time scale for relaxation to thermal equilibrium for an optically thick electron-positron plasma with baryon loading. We focus on the time scales of electromagnetic interactions. The collisional integrals are obtained directly from the corresponding QED matrix elements. Thermalization time scales are computed for a wide range of values of both the total-energy density (over 10 orders of magnitude) and of the baryonic loading parameter (over 6 orders of magnitude). This also allows us to study such interesting limiting cases as the almost purely electron-positron plasma or electron-proton plasma as well as intermediate cases. These results appear to be important both for laboratory experiments aimed at generating optically thick pair plasmas as well as for astrophysical models in which electron-positron pair plasmas play a relevant role. © 2010 The American Physical Society.
2010
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Pair plasma relaxation time scales / A. G., Aksenov; Ruffini, Remo; G. V., Vereshchagin. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS. - ISSN 1539-3755. - 81:4(2010). [10.1103/physreve.81.046401]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/2965
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