Relativistic Plasma Physics 5.Relativistic Electron-Positron Pair Plasmas

Abstract

Electron-positron plasmas are believed to exist around the center of galaxy and compact stars. This relativistic electron-positron pair plasma has special features different from normal plasmas. The equilibrium conditions are given to solve the rate equation for pair creations and pair annihilation. The limit of temperature exists around 15 MeV under the condition that electron-positron plasma stays in equilibrium. In addition to the astrophysical plasmas, the dense electron-positron plasmas are produced by ultra-intense lasers in alaboratory.The studies of the relativistic electron-positron plasmas become important subjects in both astrophysics and laboratory plasma physics.