Symmetrisation procedures for detailed balancing of classical energy transfer probabilities

Summary

In a few previous papers, we introduced a so-called fluctuation model accounting for inelastic effects in molecular energy transfers induced by collisions. This model resulted in «symmetrisation rules» to be applied to the classical expressions for energy transfer probabilities, in order to insure detailed balancing. In this paper, we show that the symmetrisation procedures can also be applied successfully to the classical equations for energy loss and radiative transitions induced by Coulomb collisions of charged particles in stopping media. The resulting expressions display correct threshold behaviours and are worthwhile to be compared with the exact QM results. The comparison demonstrates interesting conceptual improvement of the classical equations and confirms that the symmetrisation procedures—as well as the underlying fluctuation model—are of a somewhat general applicability to inelastic processes in physics.