Normal modes of a relativistic quantum plasma; The one-component plasma

The normal modes of a relativistic electron gas are studied on the basis of the Boltzmann-Vlasov kinetic equation via a projection operator formalism. A general framework is constructed in which the fully relativistic Vlasov self-consistent force term appears as a symmetric operator acting in the Hilbert space of one-particle states. The plasma-dynamical equations are obtained by projecting onto the subspace consisting of the charge, energy and momentum densities, plus the nonconserved current density. The eigenmodes of these equations include two transverse and two longitudinal plasma modes, and one damped heat mode. They are explicitly calculated up to second order in the wave vector and to first order in the collision frequency.