Ionization potential depression in hot dense plasmas through a pure classical model

The ionization potential of an ion embedded in a plasma is lowered due to the whole charged particles (ions and electrons) interacting with that ion. It is the so called plasma effect. The numerical plasma model developed years ago, based on classical molecular dynamics, capable to describe a neutral plasma at equilibrium involving ions of various charge states of the same atom together with electrons, is used to investigate the ionization potential depression (IPD). The study of the IPD is illustrated and discussed for aluminum plasmas at mid and solid density and electron temperatures varying from 50eV to 190eV. The method relies on a sampling of the total potential energy of the electron located at an ion being ionized. The potential energy of such electron results from the whole interacting charged particles interacting with it.