Eur. Phys. J. D 18, 93-111 (2002)
https://doi.org/10.1140/e10053-002-0012-9

Effective statistical weights of bound states in plasmas

Faculty of Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel

Corresponding author: ^a fndima@plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il

Received: 10 August 2001
Published online: 15 January 2002

Abstract

Based on recent advances in the study of the statistics of interparticle distances and angles in plasmas, we develop an approach for the determination of the effective statistical weights of atomic (ionic) quantum states in ideal and nonideal plasmas. This approach allows one to account naturally for the effects of both the perturbation of the bound states by the neighboring ions and for the binding energy reduction due to the screening of the Coulomb interaction. We analyze the roles of tunneling and overbarrier escape of the optical electron from the parent ion potential well. The effects of neighbor ions and free electrons on these processes, and the simultaneous presence of several perturber ion species in the plasma are treated. We show that the present approach offers significantly more accurate effective-statistical-weight values in comparison to the existing theoretical treatments, and yields physical expressions for the empirical factors of the existing theories. Examples of calculations of effective statistical weights are given. The effects of the atomic (ionic) states collectivization on the collisional-radiative kinetics of dense plasmas are discussed.