From collisions to transport equations

Derive kinetic descriptions and transport coefficients, tracking collision assumptions, conservation laws, and the emergence of hydrodynamic behavior.

10 published lessons1 module270 min of guided study
  1. 01
    From collisions to transport equationsadvanced · 10 lessons

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From collisions to transport equations

Derive kinetic descriptions and transport coefficients, tracking collision assumptions, conservation laws, and the emergence of hydrodynamic behavior.

  1. 01

    Normalize the distribution before taking moments

    Separate particle number, mean motion, and random momentum transport.

    27 min
  2. 02

    Account for gains and losses in velocity space

    Build the dilute-gas collision operator from relative speed and elastic scattering.

    27 min
  3. 03

    Find the arrow of time in the closure assumption

    Derive the sign of Boltzmann entropy production without confusing it with fine-grained entropy.

    27 min
  4. 04

    Identify the five slow fields of a monatomic gas

    Use collision invariants to derive conservation and a local Maxwellian closure.

    27 min
  5. 05

    Relax toward a Maxwellian without losing conservation

    Use moment matching and separate physical relaxation from numerical stepping.

    27 min
  6. 06

    Organize the hydrodynamic limit by a small parameter

    Separate solvability, moment matching, and the order of dissipative corrections.

    27 min
  7. 07

    Transport momentum and energy between neighboring layers

    Compute dilute-gas transport coefficients with their signs, units, and model limitations.

    27 min
  8. 08

    Relate thermal spreading to drift under a weak force

    Derive the Einstein relation from equilibrium flux balance and a Langevin model.

    27 min
  9. 09

    Keep velocity memory when diffusion is premature

    Derive a finite-time spreading law and locate the continuum regime.

    27 min
  10. 10

    Let conserved momentum remember a molecular impulse

    Connect collective fluctuations, correlation tails, and limits of simple relaxation models.

    27 min
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