Screening and wake potentials of a test charge in quantum plasmas

The screening and wake potentials around a test charge in an electron-ion quantum plasma are studied, by using the linear dielectric response formalism. The short range screening potential in quantum plasmas is found to be significantly different from the Debye-Huckel shielding potential, while the wake potential has a long-range oscillatory behavior. Both short and long range potentials may lead to the trapping of other charges of the same polarity. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.