Classical‐Map Hypernetted Chain Calculations for Dense Plasmas

Warm dense matter is of interest for modeling the interiors of planets and Brown Dwarfs. Corresponding pump-probe experiments are performed at free electron laser facilities such as FLASH, LCLS or the future XFEL in Hamburg. X-ray Thomson scattering is of special interest to extract the plasma parameters. In order to explain or predict the X-ray Thomson scattering spectra, simulations on the structural properties of plasmas are performed. While ab initio simulations are computationally expensive, semi-classical approaches can deliver results fast for pair distribution functions and static structure factors, even for dense systems. We solve the Ornstein-Zernike equation within the hypernetted chain approximation for dense multi-component plasmas using the classical-map method. This approach proposes to treat the quantum features of the electrons using an adapted temperature for the electron system while the ions are treated classically. Results for pair distribution functions and static structure factors are presented for dense hydrogen, beryllium, carbon and CH plasmas. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)