Vlasov-Fokker-Plank(VFP) equation from Boltzmann equation

In summary: The book has a lot of exercises at the end.In summary, the author is studying equations related to the acceleration of cosmic rays. He sees a equation that he is not able to understand and he asks for help. The equation is used as a time-dependent Boltzmann equation and the term - ∂u/∂x px ∂ƒ/∂px is not able to be derived. The equation is linearized and the steady state solution is taken to obtain the VFP equation.
  • #1
Pedro de la Torre
6
0
Dear community,
I am studying some equations related to the acceleration of cosmic rays(CRs) in magnetized plasma and I have seen a couple the equations I am not able to understand.
First, I see that it is used as time-dependent Boltzmann equation for the CRs

∂ƒ/∂t + (vx + u)∂ƒ/∂x - ∂u/∂xpx∂ƒ/∂ px + FL/a ∂ƒ/∂p = C(f)
, where u is the background plasma velocity, FL is the Lorentz force and C(f) is the collision term.
The problem is that I have always seen this equation as ∂ƒ/∂t + (vx + u)∂ƒ/∂x + FL/a ∂ƒ/∂p = C(f), this is, without the term - ∂u/∂x px ∂ƒ/∂px that I am not able toderive.

Then, this equation is linearized supposing that the distribution function, f = f0 + f1 p/p to obtain the VFP equation:

u∂ƒ0/∂x + c/3 ∂ƒ/∂x -1/3 ∂u/∂x p ∂ƒ0/∂px
How do we arrive to this expression? It is clear for me that the steady state solution is taken, so ∂ƒ/∂t = 0, but I do not even understand why the factor fx appears there (fx is the x component of the vector f1).

Could someone explain me the first "modified" Boltzmann eq. and how to reach the expression of the VFP eq?

Thank you in advance.
 
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  • #2
It might help if you tell us where you read this, which would help with context, e.g., a paper or textbook. Thanks.
 
  • #3
jim mcnamara said:
It might help if you tell us where you read this, which would help with context, e.g., a paper or textbook. Thanks.

The paper in which I have seen that is: A. R. Bell, Cosmic ray acceleration (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927650512001272)
And what I have called "modified" Boltzmann equation is the equation 1 of the paper.
 
  • #4
I think that term comes from the strange fact that they refer to ##f(x,\vec{p})## being defined in the local fluid rest frame, i.e., the CR momenta ##\vec{p}## are taken in the fluid rest frame. That's unusual in relativistic transport theory, where one usually uses one "computational frame", and ##f(x,\vec{p})## is a Lorentz scalar function anyway (by definition!). For an intro to relativistic transport theory, see

https://th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~hees/publ/kolkata.pdf
 
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Likes Pedro de la Torre

1. What is the Vlasov-Fokker-Plank (VFP) equation and how is it related to the Boltzmann equation?

The Vlasov-Fokker-Plank (VFP) equation is a mathematical equation used to describe the behavior of a system of particles. It is closely related to the Boltzmann equation, which describes the statistical behavior of a gas or fluid. The VFP equation takes into account both the deterministic motion of particles and the stochastic collisions between particles, while the Boltzmann equation only considers the latter.

2. What are the key assumptions made in the VFP equation?

The VFP equation assumes that the particles in the system are in thermal equilibrium, meaning that their velocities follow a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. It also assumes that the particles do not interact with each other, and that the collisions between particles are elastic.

3. How is the VFP equation solved?

The VFP equation is typically solved using numerical methods, such as Monte Carlo simulations or finite difference methods. These methods involve discretizing the equation and solving it iteratively to approximate the behavior of the system over time.

4. What are the applications of the VFP equation?

The VFP equation has a wide range of applications in various fields of science and engineering. It is commonly used in plasma physics to understand the behavior of charged particles in a plasma, and in astrophysics to study the dynamics of stars and galaxies. It is also used in materials science to model the behavior of electrons in semiconductors, and in neuroscience to study the dynamics of ion channels in neurons.

5. What are the limitations of the VFP equation?

The VFP equation is a simplification of the more complex Boltzmann equation, so it has some limitations. It does not take into account the effects of correlations between particles, and it assumes that the particles are in thermal equilibrium. This means that it may not accurately describe systems that are far from equilibrium or have strong interactions between particles.

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