ABSTRACT
We now begin our study of systems of interacting electrons. For simplicity we shall initially confine our attention to a homogeneous system. In order to guarantee its stability, we assume that the electrons are immersed in a uniform background of positive charge, of density equal to the average electron density. For the high electron densities and low temperatures in which we shall be interested, the noninteracting electrons obey Fermi-Dirac statistics. The system may be regarded as a quantum plasma, in analogy to the usual classical plasmas, for which the noninteracting electrons are described by a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. The quantum plasma is likewise the natural analog, for charged particles, of the neutral Fermi liquid we have thus far considered; it may equally well be regarded as a charged Fermi liquid.
