Kinetic and correlation energies and distribution functions of dense plasmas

The mean value of the kinetic energy of a quantum plasma is investigated in Hartree-Fock and Montroll-Ward approximations using the method of thermodynamic Green's functions. Usually, one finds the kinetic energy to be larger than that of an ideal plasma due to the interaction between the particles in the system. However, also the opposite case is possible, i.e., a decrease of the kinetic energy compared to that of the ideal gas. This special correlation effect is found for temperatures of about 10(6) K and densities between 10(21) and 10(26) cm(-3). Here, the single-particle distribution function is shifted towards smaller momenta, and the binary distribution is changed.