29 questions linked to/from Visualising gas temperature and gas pressure
31 views

### Temperature anisotropy in plasmas

If a species of a plasma is described by a distribution function $f(\mathbf{r},\mathbf{v},t)$, is it possible to have different temperature (thermal energy) values for different directions (x, y and z)...
81 views

### How many temperatures has a plasma?

In nonthermal plasma, not all particles move in the same way. The electrons are different from other particles. Both can be described as having a temperature separately. But that would mean, one piece ...
41 views

### Do plasmas really not experience a $\nabla \vec B$ drift even though the individual particles do?

I'm currently working through Chen's Introduction to Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, and I just got to the chapter on the fluid theory of plasmas. Chen claims that the $\nabla\vec B$ drift does ...
48 views

### When can we say $x$ and $p$ are “independent variable”, in order to find the Vlasov equation?

I have a question about "independent variable" in physics, and especially variable in Lagrangian or Density Function. I read several questions about it in this forum and although I have the feeling I ...
3k views

### Why are ions and electrons at different temperatures in a plasma?

In plasmas, the collision rate among ions or electrons is much larger than the collision rate between ions and electrons. Why is that so?
42 views

### anistropic or asymetric particles distribution

As a preamble, I have several questions and I know that is preferable to ask one question per post, but they are really linked together. This is why I chose to ask them together. I am considering a ...
483 views

### How to get the moments of the Boltzmann equation?

I'm currently reading through a hydrodynamics lecture course and I'm confused at some of the key integrals that are derived. These integrals aid in deriving the moments of the Boltzmann equation. ...
144 views

### Can't prove that Fast Magnetosonic Wave's proper speed is given by the following formula

So, suppose a magnetosonic disturbance, it is proven that (You can also see it in Richard Fitzpatrick's Plasma Physics online text), that the Fast Magnetosonic Wave is equal to \dfrac{...
2k views

### What is the correct relativistic distribution function?

General Statement and Questions I am trying to figure out the proper way to model a velocity/momentum distribution function that is correct in the relativistic limit. I would like to determine/know ...
140 views

### Feynman Lectures I 40: Is the homogeneity of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution a result of, or a pre-requisite for its derivation?

I refer to hand-waving a lot in this post. That is not to say that it was in appropriate. Feynman pretty much said at the outset that his treatment of thermal physics was going to be less than ...
50 views

### Jeans equation for a spherical equilibrium

I am currently studying the Jeans equation for a system in spherical equilibrium. Since the distribution function $f(x,v)$ can be written in depency of energy and angular momentum $f(E, L)$ it seems ...
490 views

### Velocity from the cumulative distribution function of the Boltzmann distribution [duplicate]

I want to get a Boltzmann distribution of the $v_x$, $v_y$ and $v_z$ velocity components (please, notice that the distribution is one-dimensional). To do so, I need the cumulative distribution ...
434 views

### Difficulty in understanding Maxwell Boltzmann distribution in case on ions in a field

I learned that the velocity of molecules obey Maxwell Boltzmann (MB) distribution at a Temperature T. If I have ions of mass 'M' accelerated to 2eV in a specific region. As the ions are not "...