Simulating Dense Plasmas With Hydrodynamic Density Functional Theory

Strongly-coupled plasmas, such as ultracold neutral plasmas, dusty plasmas and warm dense matter, can be difficult model, as a complete understanding of the physics relies on both the dynamics and the underlying particle correlations. Density functional theory (DFT) is a natural formalism for describing such correlations but is limited to equilibrium systems. For non-equilibrium systems, hydrodynamic DFT (HDFT) provides a dynamic generalization of DFT that has recently been applied to plasmas [1] , [2] . One of the primary advantages of HDFT is that it establishes a direct connection to atomic-scale correlations self-consistently and without the need for an ad hoc equation of state. Here, we explore the numerical implementation of the HDFT model using a finite volume method and address some of the computational challenges that arise from the nonlocal correlation effects. Furthermore, we explore the role that correlations play in plasma waves.