Extraordinary Electromagnetic Waves in Weakly Relativistic Degenerate Spin-1/2 Magnetized Quantum Plasmas

By using the relativistic quantum magnetohydrodynamic model, the extraordinary electromagnetic waves in magnetized quantum plasmas are investigated with the effects of particle dispersion associated with the quantum Bohm potential effects, the electron spin-1/2 effects, and the relativistic degenerate pressure effects. The electrons are treated as a quantum and magnetized species, while the ions are classical ones. The new general dispersion relations are derived and analyzed in some interesting special cases. Quantum effects are shown to affect the dispersion relations of the extraordinary electromagnetic waves. It is also shown that the relativistic degenerate pressure effects significantly modify the dispersive properties of the extraordinary electromagnetic waves. The present investigation should be useful for understanding the collective interactions in dense astrophysical bodies, such as the atmosphere of neutron stars and the interior of massive white dwarfs.