Coulomb interactions in dense two-dimensional electron systems in a magnetic field

The simplest model of a two-dimensional system ignores the Coulomb interactions between the electrons. In this approximation, the electrons occupy the Landau levels, broadened by impurities and irregularities in the lattice. This independent electron approximation has usually been used to discuss observations for electron densities ρ and magnetic fields B where bar ν > 1 (bar ν triple-bond the number of Landau levels occupied). The most famous example is the theory of the integral Quantum Hall effect. However, when bar ν < 1, the states are degenerate in the independent electron model, and get split by electron-electron interactions; here electron-electron interactions have been treated extensively in theories of the fractional Quantum Hall effect, Wigner Crystallization and excited states. A rough estimates suggests that at higher electron densities, where bar ν > 1, electron-electron interactions should become important through the mixing of Landau levels. This thesis describes calculations for bar ν > 1 on phenomena which should be sensitive to electron-electron interactions: Wigner crystallization, the stability of the Landau levels under electron-electron interactions, the existence of quasiparticles and quasiholes, and the densities of states. The main results obtained concern: (1) The values of ρ and B where crystallization should occur when bar ν > 1. (2) The effect of electron-electron interactions in broadening the individual Landau levels, and in distributing the amplitudes for the excitation of independent electrons over many Landau levels. (3) The existence of quasiparticles and quasiholes whose lifetime is infinite near the Fermi level