Modulational interactions in quantum plasmas

Abstract

A formalism for treating modulational interactions of electrostatic fields in collisionless quantum plasmas is developed, based on the kinetic Wigner-Poisson model of quantum plasma. This formalism can be used in a range of problems of nonlinear interaction between electrostatic fields in a quantum plasma, such as development of turbulence, self-organization, as well as transition from the weak turbulent state to strong turbulence. In particular, using this formalism, we obtain the kinetic quantum Zakharov equations, that describe nonlinear coupling of high frequency Langmuir waves to low frequency plasma density variations, for cases of non-degenerate and degenerate plasma electrons.