Transport cross-sections for polyatomic gases

Abstract

Abstract The paper considers the current status of the study of the transport and related effective cross-sections, for dilute molecular gases, that emerge from the kinetic theory as a unifying formulation of a number of diverse phenomena. The discussion concentrates upon the effective cross-sections that occur in the description of transport and relaxation phenomena in dilute gases and gas mixtures both in the absence of magnetic or electric fields and in their presence. The relationships of these phenomena to others such as light scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation and spectroscopic phenomena through effective cross-sections is illustrated. It is argued that, in general, experimental information on the effective cross-sections is either abundant or could be made so with little technological development and an investment only in time and effort. Equally the kinetic theory of dilute polyatomic gases is now both developed and secure. Thus the stage has been set for the application of the deve...