Plasma kinetic coefficients with account for relaxation processes

Abstract

The hydrodynamics of a completely ionized two-component electron–ion plasma is investigated on the basis of the Landau kinetic equation with account for component temperature and velocity relaxation. The term relaxation is understood here in a narrow sense as a process which can take place in a spatially homogeneous system. The investigation is made on the basis of a generalized Chapman–Enskog method. The relaxation is investigated in the vicinity of the standard hydrodynamic state of plasma: the deviations of the component temperatures and velocities from their standard hydrodynamic values are considered to be small. The integral equations for the component distribution functions are investigated in a perturbation theory in small gradients and small relaxation parameters. The component distribution functions of the first-order both in gradients and in relaxation parameters are calculated. Relaxation corrections to the energy and momentum fluxes and to the kinetic coefficients of the standard hydrodynamic state of the system are obtained.