The first part reviews some recent ideas and L¹-existence results for non-linear stationary equations of Boltzmann type in a bounded domain in ℝⁿ and far from global Maxwellian equilibrium. That is an area not covered by the DiPerna and P. L. Lions methods for the time-dependent Boltzmann equation from the late 1980-ies. The final part discusses the more classical perturbative case close to global equilibrium and corresponding small mean free path limits of fully non-linear stationary problems....

Consider the domain $Z_{ϵ}=\{x\in {ℝ}^n;dist(x,ϵ{\mathbb{Z}}^n)>{ϵ}^{\gamma }\}$ and let the free path length be defined as ${\tau }_{ϵ}(x,v)=inf\{t>0;x-tv\in Z_{ϵ}\}.$ In the Boltzmann-Grad scaling corresponding to $\gamma =\frac{n}{n-1}$, it is shown that the limiting distribution ${\phi }_{ϵ}$ of ${\tau }_{ϵ}$ is bounded from below by an expression of the form C/t, for some C> 0. A numerical study seems to indicate that asymptotically for large t, ${\phi }_{ϵ}\sim C/t$. This is an extension of a previous work [J. Bourgain et al., Comm. Math. Phys.190 (1998) 491-508]. As a consequence, it is proved that the linear Boltzmann type transport equation is inappropriate...

Consider the region obtained by removing from ${ℝ}^2$ the discs of radius $\epsilon$, centered at the points of integer coordinates $(a,b)$ with $b\not\equiv a(mod\ell )$. We are interested in the distribution of the free path length (exit time) ${\tau }_{\ell ,\epsilon }\left(\omega \right)$ of a point particle, moving from $(0,0)$ along a linear trajectory of direction $\omega$, as $\epsilon \to 0^{+}$. For every integer number $\ell \ge 2$, we prove the weak convergence of the probability measures associated with the random variables $\epsilon {\tau }_{\ell ,\epsilon }$, explicitly computing the limiting distribution. For $\ell =3$, respectively $\ell =2$, this result leads...

The Povzner equation is a version of the nonlinear Boltzmann equation, in which the collision operator is mollified in the space variable. The existence of stationary solutions in $L^1$ is established for a class of stationary boundary-value problems in bounded domains with smooth boundaries, without convexity assumptions. The results are obtained for a general type of collision kernels with angular cutoff. Boundary conditions of the diffuse reflection type, as well as the given incoming profile, are...

We consider a body immersed in a perfect gas and moving under the action of a constant force. Body and gas are in thermal equilibrium. We assume a stochastic interaction body/medium: when a particle of the medium hits the body, it is absorbed and immediately re-emitted with a Maxwellian distribution. This system gives rise to a microscopic model of friction. We study the approach of the body velocity V(t) to the limiting velocity $V_{\infty }$ and prove that, under suitable smallness assumptions, the approach...

We consider a Boltzmann equation for inelastic particles on the line and prove existence and uniqueness for the solutions.

We consider a Boltzmann equation for inelastic particles on the line and prove existence and uniqueness for the solutions.

We prove that the Boltzmann-Grad limit of the Lorentz gas with periodic distribution of scatterers cannot be described with a linear Boltzmann equation. This is at variance with the case of a Poisson distribution of scatterers, for which the convergence to the linear Boltzmann equation was proved by Gallavotti [Phys. Rev. (2)185, 308 (1969)]. The arguments presented here complete the analysis in [Golse-Wennberg, M2AN Modél. Math. et Anal. Numér.34, 1151 (2000)], where the impossibility of a kinetic...

For stationary kinetic equations, entropy dissipation can sometimes be used in existence proofs similarly to entropy in the time dependent situation. Recent results in this spirit obtained in collaboration with A. Nouri, are here presented for the nonlinear stationary Boltzmann equation in bounded domains of $I{R}^n$ with given indata and diffuse reflection on the boundary.

We introduce and discuss a one-dimensional kinetic model of the Boltzmann equation with dissipative collisions and variable coefficient of restitution. Then, the behavior of the Boltzmann equation in the quasi elastic limit is investigated for a wide range of the rate function. By this limit procedure we obtain a class of nonlinear equations classified as nonlinear friction equations. The analysis of the cooling process shows that the nonlinearity on the relative velocity is of paramount importance...

Using probabilistic tools, this work states a pointwise convergence of function solutions of the 2-dimensional Boltzmann equation to the function solution of the Landau equation for Maxwellian molecules when the collisions become grazing. To this aim, we use the results of Fournier (2000) on the Malliavin calculus for the Boltzmann equation. Moreover, using the particle system introduced by Guérin and Méléard (2003), some simulations of the solution of the Landau equation will be given. This result...


Using probabilistic tools, this work states a pointwise convergence of function solutions of the 2-dimensional Boltzmann equation to the function solution of the Landau equation for Maxwellian molecules when the collisions become grazing. To this aim, we use the results of Fournier (2000) on the Malliavin calculus for the Boltzmann equation. Moreover, using the particle system introduced by Guérin and Méléard (2003), some simulations of the solution of the Landau equation will be given. This result...