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In this paper, we derive a fully relativistic kinetic theory for spin-1/2 particles and its coupling to Maxwell's equations, valid in the long-scale-length limit, where the fields vary on a scale much longer than the localization of the particles; we work to first order in (h) over bar. Our starting point is a Foldy-Wouthuysen (FW) transformation, applicable to this regime, of the Dirac Hamiltonian. We derive the corresponding evolution equation for the Wigner quasidistribution in an external electromagnetic field. Using a Lagrangian method we find expressions for the charge and current densities, expressed as free and bound parts. It is furthermore found that the velocity is nontrivially related to the momentum variable, with the difference depending on the spin and the external electromagnetic fields. This fact that has previously been discussed as "hidden momentum" and is due to that the FW transformation maps pointlike particles to particle clouds for which the prescription of minimal coupling is incorrect, as they have multipole moments. We express energy and momentum conservation for the system of particles and the electromagnetic field, and discuss our results in the context of the Abraham-Minkowski dilemma.

We study a recently derived fully relativistic kinetic model for spin-1/2 particles. First, the full set of conservation laws for energy, momentum, and angular momentum are given together with an expression for the (nonsymmetric) stress-energy tensor. Next, the thermodynamic equilibrium distribution is given in different limiting cases. Furthermore, we address the analytical complexity that arises when the spin and momentum eigenfunctions are coupled in linear theory by calculating the linear dispersion relation for such a case. Finally, we discuss the model and give some context by comparing with potentially relevant phenomena that are not included, such as radiation reaction and vacuum polarization.

We present a quantum kinetic theory for spin-1/2 particles, including the spin-orbit interaction, retaining particle dispersive effects to all orders in ℏ, based on a gauge-invariant Wigner transformation. Compared to previous works, the spin-orbit interaction leads to a new term in the kinetic equation, containing both the electric and magnetic fields. Like other models with spin-orbit interactions, our model features "hidden momentum". As an example application, we calculate the dispersion relation for linear electrostatic waves in a magnetized plasma, and electromagnetic waves in a unmagnetized plasma. In the former case, we compare the Landau damping due to spin-orbit interactions to that due to the free current. We also discuss our model in relation to previously published works. 

For short wavelengths, it is well known that the linearized Wigner-Moyal equation predicts wave damping due to wave-particle interaction, where the resonant velocity shifted from the phase velocity by a velocity v(q) = hk/2m. Here h is the reduced Planck constant, k is the wavenumber and m is the electron mass. Going beyond linear theory, we find additional resonances with velocity shifts nv(q), n= 2,3, ..., giving rise to a new wave-damping mechanism that we term multi-plasmon damping, as it can be seen as the simultaneous absorption (or emission) of multiple plasmon quanta. Naturally this wave damping is not present in classical plasmas. For a temperature well below the Fermi temperature, if the linear (n = 1) resonant velocity is outside the Fermi sphere, the number of linearly resonant particles is exponentially small, while the multi-plasmon resonances can be located in the bulk of the distribution. We derive sets of evolution equations for the case of two-plasmon and three-plasmon resonances for Langmuir waves in the simplest case of a fully degenerate plasma. By solving these equations numerically for a range of wave-numbers we find the corresponding damping rates, and we compare them to results from linear theory to estimate the applicability. Finally, we discuss the effects due to a finite temperature.

We have studied the exchange corrections to linear electrostatic wave propagation in a plasma using a quantum kinetic formalism. Specifically, we have considered the zero-temperature limit. In order to simplify the calculations we have focused on the long-wavelength limit, i.e., wavelengths much longer than the de Broglie wavelength. For the case of ion-acoustic waves we have calculated the exchange correction both to the damping rate and the real part of the frequency. For Langmuir waves the frequency shift due to exchange effects is found. Our results are compared with the frequency shifts deduced from commonly used exchange potentials which are computed from density-functional theory.

We have extended previous quantum kinetic results to compute the exchange correction to the electrostatic electron susceptibility for arbitrary frequencies and wavenumbers in the low temperature limit. This has allowed us to make a general comparison with a much used hydrodynamic expression, based on density functional theory, for exchange effects. For low phase velocities, as for ion-acoustic waves, wave-particle interaction leads to a strong enhancement of the exchange correction and the hydrodynamic result is smaller by an order of magnitude. The hydrodynamic expression gives a useful approximation when the phase velocity is 2.5 times the Fermi velocity. If this condition is not fulfilled, the hydrodynamical theory gives misleading results. We discuss the implications of our results for the model choice for quantum plasmas, especially regarding particle dispersive effects.