Plasma wave mediated electron pairing effects

Abstract

Pairing of particles, in particular electrons, in high temperature plasma is generally not expected to occur. Here we investigate, based on earlier work, the possibility for electron pairing mediated in the presence of various kinds of plasma waves. We confirm the possibility for pairing in ion- and electron-acoustic waves, pointing out the importance of the former and the expected consequences. While electron-acoustic waves probably do not play any role, ion-acoustic waves may cause formation of heavy electron compounds. Lower hybrid waves also mediate pairing but under different conditions. Buneman modes which evolve from strong currents may cause pairing among trapped electrons constituting a heavy electron component that populates electron holes. All pairing processes are found to generate cold pair populations. They provide a mechanism of electron cooling which can be interpreted as kind of classical condensation, in some cases possibly accompanied by formation of current filaments, weak soft-X-ray emission and superfluidity which might affect reconnection physics.