Electrical Conductivity of Non‐ideal Plasmas and the Ion Distribution Function

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Abstract
The theory of electrical conductivity of electron‐ion‐systems is developed for a density region which reaches from the region of non‐ideal plasmas up to the region of liquid metals.The conductivity is expressed by quantum mechanical correlation functions. Different forms of the electron‐ion pseudopotentials are considered. The ion distribution function is derived using the mean spherical approximation (MSA) theory or the nonlinear Debye‐theory. Higher order scattering effects are treated by introducing scattering phase shifts for the statically screened electron‐ion potential.The numerical results for the conductivity show a SPITZER‐like behaviour in the low‐density non‐degenerate limit where higher order scattering is important, and a ZIMAN‐like behaviour in the strongly degenerate high‐density limit where the ion distribution functions and the form of the electron‐ion pseudopotential become more important.