Electron screening and kinetic-energy oscillations in a strongly coupled plasma.
We study equilibration of strongly coupled ions in an ultracold neutral plasma produced by photoionizing laser-cooled and trapped atoms. By varying the electron temperature, we show that electron screening modifies the equilibrium ion temperature. Even with few electrons in a Debye sphere, the screening is well described by a model using a Yukawa ion-ion potential. We also observe damped oscillations of the ion kinetic energy that are a unique feature of equilibration of a strongly coupled plasma.
Chen
Y C
YC
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
Simien
C E
CE
Laha
S
S
Gupta
P
P
Martinez
Y N
YN
Mickelson
P G
PG
Nagel
S B
SB
Killian
T C
TC