Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 March 2009
A systematic study is made of the dynamical properties of the charge density fluctuations in strongly coupled two-component plasmas. The time-correlation function of the partial density fluctuations is described with the use of the memory function formalism. A second-order memory function is approximately expressed in terms of its self-part by taking into account the total momentum conservation law. After assuming a Gaussian time-dependence for the self-part, the excitation spectrum of the charge density fluctuation is calculated for the semi-classical hydrogen plasma, and is in fairly good agreement with the molecular dynamics calculation due to Hansen & McDonald. It is found that the collisional effects play an important role in the strongly coupled system.