THE DEBYE-ONSAGER RELAXATION EFFECT IN FULLY IONIZED PLASMAS

Whereas the electrical conductivity of fully ionized, ideal plasmas is well described by the Spitzer formula, the evaluation of transport pr operties in dense, nonideal plasmas needs a systematic treatment of ma ny-particle effects. The hydrodynamical approach of the Debye-Onsager relaxation effect is compared with a quantum statistical approach give n by the generalized linear response theory. Furthermore, a comparison with results obtained from kinetic theory is performed. It is shown t hat the correct value of the corresponding virial coefficient can only be obtained if the nonequilibrium two-particle distribution function is included in the evaluation of the transport coefficients.