I. Muller, Technische Universitat Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany, e-mail: ingo.mueller@alumni.tu-berlin.de
Abstract: Extended thermodynamics is based on a set of equations of balance which are supplemented by local and instantaneous constitutive equations so that the field equations are quasi-linear differential equations of first order. If the constitutive functions are subject to the requirements of the entropy principle, one may write them in symmetric hyperbolic form by a suitable choice of fields. The kinetic theory of gases, or the moment theories based on the Boltzmann equation, provide an explicit example for extended thermodynamics. The theory proves its usefulness and practicality in the successful treatment of light scattering in rarefied gases. It would seem that extended thermodynamics is worthy of the attention of mathematicians. It may offer them a non-trivial field of study concerning hyperbolic equations, if ever they get tired of the Burgers equation.
Keywords: thermodynamics, symmetric hyperbolicity, kinetic theory, light scattering
Classification (MSC 2000): 80A17
Full text available as PDF (smallest), as compressed PostScript (.ps.gz) or as raw PostScript (.ps).
Access to the full text of journal articles on this site is restricted to the subscribers of Myris Trade.
To activate your access, please contact Myris Trade at myris@myris.cz.
Subscribers of Springer need to access the articles on their site, which is http://www.springeronline.com/10492.
