Bremsstrahlung from dense Plasmas: A many-body theoretical approach

Bremsstrahlung is the predominant process of emission and absorption in a hot and dense plasma. The influence of correlations on the bremsstrahlung is of fundamental interest for plasma diagnostics. Dealing with dense and strongly correlated systems, classical formulae, such as Kramers’ expression for the emissivity are improved; the correcting Gaunt factor is calculated within a consistent many-particle approach. Starting from the single particle spectral function, describing the finite lifetime of the emitting particles, we develop a systematic approach to the dielectric function. We discuss limiting cases of our results and their relevance for experimental findings.