Angular Relaxation of the Symmetrical Top. II. The Rough Sphere

Abstract

We investigate the reorientation of molecules in a bath of atoms without internal degrees of freedom. A Markoffian kinetic equation for the rough sphere model is formulated. A collision operator is derived and the appropriate kinetic equation for the two time orientational autocorrelation functions is solved for a variety of molecular parameters. It is found that the finite collision rough sphere model allows the retainment of greater dynamic coherence than does the Langevin model of the spherical top.