Numerical analysis of the Poiseuille and thermal transpiration flows between two parallel plates on the basis of the Boltzmann equation for hard-sphere molecules

Abstract

The Poiseuille and thermal transpiration flows of a rarefied gas between two parallel plates are investigated on the basis of the linearized Boltzmann equation for hard-sphere molecules and diffuse reflection boundary condition. The velocity distribution functions of the gas molecules as well as the gas velocity and heat flow profiles and mass fluxes are obtained for the whole range of the Knudsen number with good accuracy by the numerical method recently developed by the authors.