Theory of dense hydrogen plasma

Abstract

A partially ionized plasma model is applied for the description of hydrogen from the molecular fluid domain at low temperatures up to the plasma state at high temperatures. Pressure dissociation of H₂ molecules is taken into account via the dissociation equilihrium H₂ ⇌ H + H. The proton-proton pair distribution function gP&) is determined and compared with available results from computer simulations. The treatment of the ionization equilibrium H ⇌ e + p is needed for the description of the plasma state at higher temperatures. The Hugoniot curves and the electrical conductivity are calculated up to Mbar pressures. The transition from semiconducting to metallic-like behavior as found experimentally is verified.

Key Words:

• Equation of state
• electrical conductivity
• nonmetal-to-metal transition
• pair correlation functions