Hydrodynamic Density Functional Theory Description of Strongly-Coupled Plasmas

Strongly-coupled plasmas, such as ultracold neutral plasmas, dusty plasmas and warm dense matter, can be difficult model, as a complete understanding of the physics relies on both the dynamics and the underlying particle correlations. Density functional theory (DFT) is a natural formalism for describing such correlations but is limited to equilibrium systems. For non-equilibrium systems, hydrodynamic DFT (HDFT) provides a dynamic generalization of DFT that has recently been applied to plasmas [1, 2]. One of the primary advantages of HDFT is that it establishes a direct connection to atomic-scale correlations self-consistently and without the need for an ad hoc equation of state. Here, we explore various choices of correlation functionals in the HDFT model and address some of the computational challenges that arise from the nonlocal correlation effects. Furthermore, we explore the role that correlations play in plasma waves and coupled modes.

[1] Archer, A. J., "Dynamical density functional theory for molecular and colloidal fluids: A microscopic approach to fluid mechanics", J. Chem. Phys., 130, 014509 (2009).

[2] Diaw, A. and Murillo, M. S., “Generalized hydrodynamics model for strongly coupled plasmas”, Phys. Rev. E, 92, 013107 (2015).