Electrical resistivity of hot dense plasmas

We present calculations of the dc electrical resistivity of a variety of plasmas using rigorous generalizations of the Ziman formula which extend from the usual weak-isolated-scatterer limit to the hitherto inaccessible regime of strong multiple scatterers. All the ingredients necessary for the calculation are computed from first principles in a self-consistent manner, using a density-functional description of the electrons and ions in the plasma. As is usual in density-functional calculations, electron exchange correlation is handled in the local-density approximation. The method uses an average-ion distribution of the plasma environment, together with the assumption of spherical symmetry. The numerical procedures for the regime of strong multiple scatterers turn out to be no more difficult than for the weak-isolated-scatterer limit.