The two-dimensional two-component plasma plus background on a sphere: Exact results

Abstract

An exact solution is given for a two-dimensional model of a Coulomb gas, more general than the previously solved ones. The system is made up of a uniformly charged background, positive particles, and negative particles, on the surface of a sphere. At the special value Γ = 2 of the reduced inverse temperature, the classical equilibrium statistical mechanics is worked out: the correlations and the grand potential are calculated. The thermodynamic limit is taken, and as it is approached the grand potential exhibits a finite-size correction of the expected universal form.