Kinetic Theory of Polyatomic Gases

Abstract

A classical-mechanical kinetic theory of dilute gases is developed for molecules with arbitrary degrees of freedom and interacting according to an arbitrary potential. The Boltzmann equation for the truncated singlet distribution function is derived by application of a general form of the divergence theorem, and the equilibrium solution is obtained from an H theorem for the fluid. The solution of the Boltzmann equation by a procedure of the Chapman—Enskog type is described for the case of molecules having translational and rotational degrees of freedom. Formulas for the transport properties of the gas are obtained in the form of multidimensional integral functionals of the intermolecular potential function.