SCREENING POTENTIALS IN STRONGLY COUPLED PLASMAS - REANALYSIS OF RECENT HIGHLY ACCURATE SIMULATIONS

Very recently, using an extrapolation of very accurate "extra-long-time" computer-simulation data for strongly coupled classical plasmas, results for the short-range screening potential were obtained [S. Ogata, H. Iyetomi, and S. Ichimaru, Astrophys. J. 372, 259 (1991)]. These extrapolated results are reported to be of 0.1 % accuracy, even for screening potentials at zero separation, and to differ significantly from previous calculations. Using another method, the present extrapolation of the same data finds, however, that these highly accurate simulations are in excellent agreement with the previous calculations, providing an independent test for their validity. Moreover, these high-accuracy simulations provide important support to the "Onsager-molecule" asymptotic limit of the short-range screening potentials in strongly coupled plasmas [Y. Rosenfeld, Phys. Rev. A 35, 938 (1987)].