Los Alamos National LaboratoryDense Plasma Theory
Microphysical properties of dense, strongly coupled, and quantum plasmas

Research Areas

The objective of our research is to achieve a theoretical understanding of the microscopic properties of dense, strongly coupled plasmas and of their consequences on the macroscopic properties such as transport

  • one component plasma

    Electronic and Ionic Structure

    We have developed (and continue to develop) and number of methods to predict and understand the electronic and ionic structure of dense plasmas.  These include, for example, Orbital-Free Density Functional Theory, average atom methods, and Multiple Scattering Theory.

  • plasma regime

    Particle Transport

    Particle transport properties of a material describe how a physical quantity is transferred through the system via electrons and ions. For example, we are interested in diffusivity, viscosity and thermal conductivity, which describe the transfer of matter, momentum and energy, respectively.

  • excited state energies

    Photon Transport

    Photon transport properties of a material photons are absorbed, emitted or scattered in a dense plasma.  Example of our work include applications of time-dependent density functional theory to absorption,  free-free opacity in dense plasmas, and a model for X-ray Thomson scattering.