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Degenerate plasmas, in which quantum effects dictate the behavior of freeelectrons, are ubiquitous on earth and throughout space. Transitions betweenbound and free electron states determine basic plasma properties, yet theeffects of degeneracy on these transitions have only been theorized. Here, weuse an x-ray free electron laser to create and characterize a degenerateplasma. We observe a core electron fluorescence spectrum that cannot bereproduced by models that ignore free electron degeneracy.We show thatdegeneracy acts to restrict the available electron energy states, therebyslowing the rate of transitions to and from the continuum. We couple degeneracyand bound electron dynamics in an existing collisional-radiative code, whichagrees well with observations. The impact of the shape of the cross section,and hence the magnitude of the correction due to degeneracy, is also discussed.This study shows that degeneracy in plasmas can significantly influenceexperimental observables such as the emission spectra, and that these effectscan be included parametrically in well-established atomic physics codes. Thiswork narrows the gap in understanding between the condensed-matter and plasmaphases, which coexist in myriad scenarios.

Impact of free electron degeneracy on collisional rates in plasmas