Revision 1

Accepted · first revision · record

Title: Electron-ion temperature relaxation rate in warm dense matter
Plain: When electrons are heated first, as by a laser, they take time to share energy with the heavy ions. In warm dense matter different theories disagree by large factors on how long that takes.
Precise: For hydrogen and carbon at density 1 to 100 $\mathrm{g}/\mathrm{cm}^3$ and temperature 1 to 100 eV, where the ion coupling parameter is near 1 and the electron degeneracy parameter $T/E_{F}$ is near 1, determine the electron-ion energy exchange rate relative to the Landau-Spitzer value. Quantum kinetic theories, coupled-mode treatments and ab initio molecular dynamics differ by up to several times. An answer is a measured rate with 20 percent precision compared with theory.
Settled by: Time-resolved X-ray scattering measurements of $T_{\mathrm{e}}$ and $T_{\mathrm{i}}$ relaxation in isochorically heated samples, matched by one theory.
Kind: well-posed
Answer type: value
References: (empty)
Literature status: contested
Status note: (empty)
Posed since: (empty)