Deviation from a Maxwellian velocity distribution in regions of interstellar molecular hydrogen

Details Deviation from a Maxwellian velocity distribution in regions of interstellar molecular hydrogen Deviation from a Maxwellian velocity distribution in regions of interstellar molecular hydrogen

Jun 1976

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1976apj...206..435g&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 206, June 1, 1976, pt. 1, p. 435-439.

Mathematics

2

Boltzmann Transport Equation, Hydrogen Clouds, Interstellar Gas, Maxwell-Boltzmann Density Function, Molecular Gases, Velocity Distribution, Collision Rates, Elastic Scattering, Inelastic Collisions, Molecular Collisions, Operators (Mathematics)

Scientific paper

The deviation from a Maxwellian velocity distribution caused by excitation of the J = 2 rotational level of parahydrogen (followed by radiative decay) in a molecular hydrogen gas is investigated. It is noted that inelastic collisions deplete the high-velocity tail of the distribution, while elastic collisions tend to refill it; the resulting steady-state distribution has a small depletion in the tail which slightly reduces the cooling rate of the gas. The elastic-collision transport is approximated by a continuous process, a simplified expression is obtained for the inelastic-collision operator, and the Boltzmann equation is then solved analytically. A correction to the inelastic-collision rate is evaluated, and it is found that the relative magnitude of the effect of tail depletion on the inelastic-collision rate is strongly temperature-dependent. The critical molecular density above which the J = 2 level deexcites by superelastic collisions is shown to be a weak function of temperature.

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