Correlation function metrology for warm dense matter: Recent developments and practical guidelines
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: X-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) has emerged as a valuable diagnostic for matter under extreme conditions, as it captures the intricate many-body physics of the probed sample. Recent advances, such as the model-free temperature diagnostic of Dornheim et al. [Nat. Commun. 13, 7911 (2022)], have demonstrated how much information can be extracted directly within the imaginary-time formalism. However, since the imaginary-time formalism is a concept often difficult to grasp, we provide here a systematic overview of its theoretical foundations and explicitly demonstrate its practical applications to temperature inference, including relevant subtleties. Furthermore, we present recent developments that enable the determination of the absolute normalization, Rayleigh weight, and density from XRTS measurements without reliance on uncontrolled model assumptions. Finally, we outline a unified workflow that guides the extraction of these key observables, offering a practical framework for applying the method to interpret experimental measurements.
Source: Physics of Plasmas
DOI: 10.1063/5.0304837
Institutions: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Center for Advanced Systems Understanding, University of Rostock, University of California, Merced, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, National Ignition Facility
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, European Commission, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences, Laboratory Directed Research and Development, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Awards: LOCALIZED ELECTRONS, IONIZATION POTENTIALS, AND NON-THERMAL STATES IN WARM DENSE MATTER FROM THE THERMAL PROJECTION-BASED INITIAL MAXIMUM OVERLAP METHOD, G1088636562, G1222673975, G1356433355, G1390174875, G1430999822, G14554683, G1507619328, G1566334474, G1664463815, G2145270357, G2150449019, G2285105350, Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), G308902114, G3744351174, G4679850839, G4744444288, G4927892525, G574795485, G991281326
OpenAlex ID: W7147526152