Evidence of a new quantization constant in collisionless plasmas

Recent plasma analyses revealed strong evidence about the value and nature of the new quantization constant $\hbar_{\mathrm{\ast }}$, that is similar to the Planck constant $\hbar $, but 12 orders of magnitude larger. Planck's constant constitutes the phase-space quantum for individual and uncorrelated particles, while the new constant $\hbar $* describes the phase-space quantum for particle systems characterized by local correlations, such as collisionless plasmas. In plasmas, long-range interactions induce local correlations, manifested by the presence of a correlation length between particles. This divides the system into an ensemble of clusters of correlated particles. The particles within each of these ``correlation clusters'' participate altogether to this new type of quantization. Quantum mechanics requires the existence of a non-zero least action, the quantization constant, but do not provide its specific value. The new developments point toward a new quantum-mechanical approach that will be based on the new quantization constant. If true, plasmas can be studied in a new way, following the framework of quantum and statistical mechanics, but on a much larger scale.