FORMATION OF BINARY CORRELATIONS IN STRONGLY COUPLED PLASMAS

Employing quantum kinetic equations we study the formation of binary c orrelations in plasma at short time scales. It is shown that this form ation is much faster than dissipation due to collisions, and in hot (d ense) plasma the correlations form on the timescale of inverse plasma frequency (Fermi energy). This hierarchy of characteristic times is us ed to derive analytical formulae for the time dependence of the potent ial energy of binary interactions which measures the extent of correla tions. We discuss the dynamical formation of screening and compare thi s with the static screened result. Comparisons are made with molecular dynamic simulations. In the low temperature limit we find an analytic al expression for the formation of correlation which is general for an y binary interaction. It can be applied in nuclear situations as well as for dense metals. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.