Transport Equation in Quantum Statistics for Spinless Molecules

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In this paper we derive an equation of transport for dilute nondegenerate, gases of spinless molecules. The collision integral in this equation is expressed in terms of an exact cross section for binary encounters which takes into account the identity of the colliding molecules. In this derivation we use the properties of Wigner distribution functions, Kirkwood's time-averaging procedures, and physical assumptions essentially the same as those employed by Ross and Kirkwood in their recent derivation of a transport equation for gases of the above type. Our equation reduces to theirs when we evaluate the exact cross section alluded to above by means of the first Born approximation. It differs from that of Uehling and Uhlenbeck in a purely formal way, which has no practical consequences in the common domain of applicability to the two equations.