Spitzer resistivity

Spitzer resistivity is a classical model of electrical resistivity, $\eta$, that is based upon electron-ion collisions.^[1][2] It is given by

$\eta =\dfrac {\pi Ze^{2}m^{1/2}\ln \Lambda } {\left( 4\pi \varepsilon_{0}\right) ^{2}\left( k_{B}T\right)^{3/2}}$

where $Z$ is the ionization of nuclei, $m$ is the electron mass, $\varepsilon_0$ is the electric permittivity of free space, $\ln\Lambda$ is the Coulomb logarithm, $k_B$ is Boltzmann's constant and $T$ is the temperature in kelvin.

This resistivity model was proposed by Lyman Spitzer.^[3]

Spitzer resistivity is commonly used in plasma physics.^[2]

References

1. Trintchouk, Fedor, Yamada, M, Ji, H, Kulsrud, RM, Carter, TA (2003). "Measurement of the transverse Spitzer resistivity during collisional magnetic reconnection". Physics of Plasmas 10: 319. doi:10.1063/1.1528612.
2. Davies, JR (2003). "Electric and magnetic field generation and target heating by laser-generated fast electrons". Physical Review E (APS) 68 (5): 056404. doi:10.1103/physreve.68.056404.
3. Forest, CB, Kupfer, K, Luce, TC, Politzer, PA, Lao, LL, Wade, MR, Whyte, DG, Wroblewski, D (1994). "Determination of the noninductive current profile in tokamak plasmas". Physical Review Letters (APS) 73 (18): 2444–2447. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.73.2444.

External links

• http://people.duke.edu/~ad159/files/p142/25.pdf