Molecular-Dynamics Simulations of Electron-Ion Temperature Relaxation in a Classical Coulomb Plasma

Molecular-dynamics simulations are used to investigate temperature relaxation between electrons and ions in a fully ionized, classical Coulomb plasma with minimal assumptions. Recombination is avoided by using like charges. The relaxation rate agrees with theory in the weak coupling limit (g identical with potential/kinetic energy << 1), whereas it saturates at g > 1 due to correlation effects. The "Coulomb log" is found to be independent of the ion charge (at constant g) and mass ratio > 25.