Studying the Effect of Coupling Strength and Magnetization on AC Conductivity Using Ultracold Neutral Plasmas

Ultracold neutral plasmas (UNP) are a useful tool for studying plasma physics in tabletop laboratory environments. AC conductivity is an important consideration in many areas of plasma physics including energy transport, stopping power, and laser excitation among others. In order to better understand the absorptive part of AC conductivity in plasmas, we have measured it across a range of moderate coupling strengths as well as magnetization regimes in a UNP. The results of these studies as well as a comparison to common theories will be presented.