Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-kinetic-theory-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/2/c/solution

Let and . The long-wavelength electron branch has . The convergent power series
turns the degenerate-plasma dielectric response into
Substitute . The coefficient of is , so the degenerate-plasma Langmuir dispersion is
The Langmuir wave therefore has a finite frequency at zero wavenumber, with the first dispersive correction set by the Fermi velocity. Indeed the occupied Fermi sphere has , so the coefficient agrees with the high-phase velocity velocity moment expansion.
Screening-length convention. The source defines , so its long-wavelength condition is equivalent to . We retain that definition when expressing answers in its symbols. The actual electron Thomas-Fermi screening length obtained from the static response is instead
For a concrete comparison, at , the static dielectric function is ; using the printed length as the physical Thomas-Fermi screening length would give . Calling the printed length the Debye length thus differs from the physical degenerate-electron screening convention by a factor of three. It does not affect the boxed dimensional dispersion relation.

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