Kinetic Theory of the Classical Electron Gas in a Positive Background. I. Equilibrium Theory

Abstract

An approximation scheme is developed for calculating the equilibrium properties of a system containing both short-range and weak long-range interactions. The results are applied to the calculation of the pair correlation and equation of state for an electron gas in a neutralizing background. Although the starting point is the Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood-Yvon hierarchy, the short-range divergence usually encountered in the ``dynamic'' approach is avoided, and the results (calculated through second order in the plasma parameter) are found to be in agreement with previous calculations by diagrammatic methods.