THERMAL-EQUILIBRIUM PROPERTIES OF THE ELECTRON FLUID

The thermal equilibrium properties of the electron fluid have been stu died. The homogeneous electron fluid neutralized by a uniform backgrou nd was treated in the Hartree-Fock approximation. The Helmholtz free e nergy was obtained and used to calculate the vapour-liquid transition which results. The linear response function was obtained and found to satisfy the compressibility sum rule. Relaxing the idealizations of th e model sets the stage for further steps in this investigation.