Title
Maple code for the calculation of the matrix elements of the Boltzmann collision operators for mixtures
Abstract
A Maple code is provided which is used to compute the matrix elements of the collision operators in the Boltzmann equation for arbitrary differential elastic collision cross section. The present paper describes an efficient method for the calculation of the matrix elements of the collision operators in the Sonine basis set. The method employs the generating functions for these polynomials. The transport properties of gaseous mixtures of atoms and/or ions are generally determined from solutions of the Boltzmann equation. The solution of the Boltzmann equation for the velocity distribution functions requires a representation of the integral collision operators defined by the differential cross sections describing collisions between pairs of particles. Many applications have considered either the simple hard sphere cross section or the cross section corresponding to the inverse fourth power of the inter-particle distance (“Maxwell molecules”). There are a few applications where realistic quantum mechanical cross sections have been used. The basis set of Sonine (or Laguerre) polynomials is the basis set of choice used to represent the distribution functions. The Maple code provided is used to express the matrix elements of the collision operators in terms of a finite sum of the omega integrals of transport theory and defined by the differential cross section. Thus the matrix representations of the collision operators are applicable to arbitrary interaction potentials.
Year
DOI
Venue
2010
10.1016/j.cpc.2010.05.011
Computer Physics Communications
Keywords
Field
DocType
Boltzmann equation,Matrix elements,Generating function,Maple code
Maple,Generating function,Boltzmann equation,Laguerre polynomials,Polynomial,Mathematical analysis,Matrix (mathematics),Personal computer,Operator (computer programming),Mathematics
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
181
9
0010-4655
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
1
Authors
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Bernie D. Shizgal1384.43
Raouf Dridi211.76