Kinetic Theory

Kinetic Theory

Kinetic theory is the simplest approach that describes the dynamics of enormous numbers of particles. Often it is the only one where we can make progress in actually calculating numbers such as viscosity or electrical conductivity! It describes nearly ideal gases: usually the interactions are only taken into account in the collisions (to be defined below) that lead to the approach to equilibriu...

Kinetic theory viscosity

We show how the viscous evolution of Keplerian accretion discs can be understood in terms of simple kinetic theory. Although standard physics texts give a simple derivation of momentum transfer in a linear shear flow using kinetic theory, many authors, as detailed by Hayashi & Matsuda 2001, have had difficulties applying the same considerations to a circular shear flow. We show here how this ma...

Kinetic Theory of Plasmas

Kinetic Theory of Gases

The present text is based on a set of lectures given as part of a post graduate course in fluid mechanics at the Department of Mechanics, KTH School of Engineering Sciences. The topic of kinetic gas theory was chosen as to broaden the students knowledge in the field of fluid mechanics in general. In particular the students should get a new perspective on the contiuum theory approach applied in ...

Chiral kinetic theory.

We derive the nonequilibrium kinetic equation describing the motion of chiral massless particles in the regime where it can be considered classically. We show that the Berry monopole which appears at the origin of the momentum space due to level crossing is responsible for the chiral magnetic and vortical effects.