Numerical solution of the linearized Boltzmann equation for an arbitrary intermolecular potential

Journal Article · Wed May 20 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Journal of Computational Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2009.01.016· OSTI ID:21313071

Sharipov, Felix ^[1]; Bertoldo, Guilherme ^[1]

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1. Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Parana, Caixa Postal 19044, Curitiba, 81531-990 (Brazil)

A numerical procedure to solve the linearized Boltzmann equation with an arbitrary intermolecular potential by the discrete velocity method is elaborated. The equation is written in terms of the kernel, which contains the differential cross section and represents a singularity. As an example, the Lennard-Jones potential is used and the corresponding differential cross section is calculated and tabulated. Then, the kernel is calculated so that to overcome its singularity. Once, the kernel is known and stored it can be used for many kinds of gas flows. In order to test the method, the transport coefficients, i.e. thermal conductivity and viscosity for all noble gases, are calculated and compared with those obtained by the variational method using the Sonine polynomials expansion. The fine agreement between the results obtained by the two different methods shows the feasibility of application of the proposed technique to calculate rarefied gas flows over the whole range of the Knudsen number.

• OSTI ID: 21313071
• Journal Information: Journal of Computational Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Computational Physics Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 228; ISSN JCTPAH; ISSN 0021-9991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
DIFFERENTIAL CROSS SECTIONS
KNUDSEN FLOW
LENNARD-JONES POTENTIAL
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
POLYNOMIALS
RARE GASES
SINGULARITY
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
VARIATIONAL METHODS
VISCOSITY