Skip to main content
Log in

Scattering theory relevant to the linear transport of particle swarms

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Statistical Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The long-time behavior of the velocity distribution of a spatially uniform diluted guest population of charged particles moving within a host medium under the influence of a D.C. electric field is studied within the framework of scattering theory. We prove the existence of wave and scattering operators for a simplified one-dimensional model of the linearized Boltzmann equation. The theory is applied to the study of the long-term behavior of electrons and the occurrence of traveling waves in runaway processes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. K. Kumar, The physics of swarms and some basic questions of kinetic theory,Phys. Rep. 112:319–375 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  2. K. Kumar, H. R. Skullerud, and R. E. Robson, Kinetic theory of charged particle swarms in neutral gases,Aust. J. Phys. 33:343–448 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  3. E. M. Lifshitz and L. P. Pitaevskii,Physical Kinetics, Vol. 10,Course of Theoretical Physics (Pergamon Press, 1981).

  4. G. Frosali, C. V. M. van der Mee, and S. L. Paveri-Fontana, Conditions for runaway phenomena in the kinetic theory of particle swarms,J. Math. Phys., in press.

  5. G. Cavalleri and S. L. Paveri-Fontana, Drift velocity and runaway phenomena for electrons in neutral gases,Phys. Rev. A 6:327–333 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  6. C. Møller, General properties of the characteristics matrix in the theory of elementary particles I,Danske. Vid. Selsk. Mat.-Fys. Medd. 23:1–48 (1945).

    Google Scholar 

  7. J. Cook, Convergence of the Møller wave-matrix,J. Math. Phys. 36:82–87 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  8. J. M. Jauch, Theory of the scattering operator,Helv. Phys. Acta 31:127–158 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  9. B. Simon, Wave operators for classical particle scattering,Commun. Math. Phys. 23:37–48 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  10. J. Hejtmanek, Scattering theory of the linear Boltzmann operator,Commun. Math. Phys. 43:109–120 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  11. B. Simon, Existence of the scattering matrix for the linearized Boltzmann equation,Commun. Math. Phys. 41:99–108 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  12. W. Schappacher, Scattering theory for the linear Boltzmann equation,Ber. Math.-Stat. Sekt. Forschungs. Graz, No. 69 (1976).

  13. J. Voigt, On the existence of the scattering operator for the linear Boltzmann equation,J. Math. Anal. Appl. 58:541–558 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  14. T. Kalo,Perturbation Theory for Linear Operators (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  15. P. D. Lax and R. S. Phillips,Scattering Theory (Academic Press, New York, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  16. M. Reed and B. Simon,Methods of Modern Mathematical Physics III: Scattering Theory (Academic Press, New York, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  17. H. Baumgärtel and M. Wollenberg,Mathematical Scattering Theory (Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  18. L. Arlotti, On the asymptotic behavior of electrons in an ionized gas, inProceedings of the Conference on Transport Theory, Invariant Imbedding, and Integral Equations in honor of G. M. Wing's 65th birthday (Santa Fe, 1988), to appear.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frosali, G., van der Mee, C.V.M. Scattering theory relevant to the linear transport of particle swarms. J Stat Phys 56, 139–148 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01044237

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01044237

Key words

Navigation