Nonequilibrium Gas Dynamics and Molecular Simulation (Cambridge Aerospace Series, Series Number 42)

This current and comprehensive book provides an updated treatment of molecular gas dynamics topics for aerospace engineers, or anyone researching high-temperature gas flows for hypersonic vehicles and propulsion systems. It demonstrates how the areas of quantum mechanics, kinetic theory, and statistical mechanics can combine in order to facilitate the study of nonequilibrium processes of internal energy relaxation and chemistry. All of these theoretical ideas are used to explain the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, a numerical technique based on molecular simulation. Because this text provides comprehensive coverage of the physical models available for use in the DSMC method, in addition to the equations and algorithms required to implement the DSMC numerical method, readers will learn to solve nonequilibrium flow problems and perform computer simulations, and obtain a more complete understanding of various physical modeling options for DSMC than is available in other texts.