Relativistic Rational Extended Thermodynamics of Polyatomic Gases with a New Hierarchy of Moments

A relativistic version of the rational extended thermodynamics of polyatomic gases based on a new hierarchy of moments that takes into account the total energy composed by the rest energy and the energy of the molecular internal mode is proposed. The moment equations associated with the Boltzmann–Chernikov equation are derived, and the system for the first 15 equations is closed by the procedure of the maximum entropy principle and by using an appropriate BGK model for the collisional term. The entropy principle with a convex entropy density is proved in a neighborhood of equilibrium state, and, as a consequence, the system is symmetric hyperbolic and the Cauchy problem is well-posed. The ultra-relativistic and classical limits are also studied. The theories with 14 and 6 moments are deduced as principal subsystems. Particularly interesting is the subsystem with 6 fields in which the dissipation is only due to the dynamical pressure. This simplified model can be very useful when bulk viscosity is dominant and might be important in cosmological problems. Using the Maxwellian iteration, we obtain the parabolic limit, and the heat conductivity, shear viscosity, and bulk viscosity are deduced and plotted.

Open Mathematical Aspects of Continuum Thermodynamics: Hyperbolicity, Boundaries and Nonlinearities

Thermodynamics is continuously spreading in the engineering practice, which is especially true for non-equilibrium models in continuum problems. Although there are concepts and approaches beyond the classical knowledge, which are known for decades, their mathematical properties, and consequences of the generalizations are less-known and are still of high interest in current researches. Therefore, we found it essential to collect the most important and still open mathematical questions that are related to different continuum thermodynamic approaches. First, we start with the example of Classical Irreversible Thermodynamics (CIT) in order to provide the basis for the more general and complex frameworks, such as the Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics with Internal Variables (NET-IV) and Rational Extended Thermodynamics (RET). Here, we aim to present that each approach has its specific problems, such as how the initial and boundary conditions can be formulated, how the coefficients in the partial differential equations are connected to each other, and how it affects the appearance of nonlinearities. We present these properties and comparing the approach of NET-IV and RET to each other from these points of view. In the present work, we restrict ourselves on non-relativistic models.

Acceleration Waves in Rational Extended Thermodynamics of Rarefied Monatomic Gases

Rational Extended Thermodynamics theories with different number of moments are usually introduced to study non-equilibrium phenomena in rarefied gases. Here, we use them to describe one-dimensional acceleration waves in a rarefied monatomic gas. In particular, we focus on the degeneracy of the acceleration wave to a shock wave, in order to test the validity of the models and the role played by an increasing number of moments. As a byproduct, some peculiarities of the characteristic velocities at equilibrium are analyzed as well.

Formulation of moment equations for rarefied gases within two frameworks of non-equilibrium thermodynamics: RET and GENERIC

In this work, we make a further step in bringing together different approaches to non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The structure of the moment hierarchy derived from the Boltzmann equation is at the heart of rational extended thermodynamics (RET, developed by Ingo Müller and Tommaso Ruggeri). Whereas the full moment hierarchy has the structure expressed in the general equation for the nonequilibrium reversible–irreversible coup- ling (GENERIC), the Poisson bracket structure of reversible dynamics postulated in that approach is a major obstacle for truncating moment hierarchies, which seems to work only in exceptional cases (most importantly, for the five moments associated with conservation laws). The practical importance of truncated moment hierarchies in rarefied gas dynamics and microfluidics motivates us to develop a new strategy for establishing the full GENERIC structure of truncated moment equations, based on non-entropy-producing irreversible processes associated with Casimir symmetry. Detailed results are given for the special case of 10 moments. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fundamental aspects of nonequilibrium thermodynamics’.

Relationships between rational extended thermodynamics and extended irreversible thermodynamics

We consider a few conceptual questions on extended thermodynamics, with the aim to contribute to a higher contact between rational extended thermodynamics and extended irreversible thermodynamics. Both theories take a number of fluxes as independent variables, but they differ in the formalism being used to deal with the exploitation of the second principle (rational thermodynamics in the first one and classical irreversible thermodynamics in the second one). Rational extended thermodynamics is more restricted in the range of systems to be analysed, but it is able to obtain a wider number of restrictions and deeper specifications from the second law. By contrast, extended irreversible thermodynamics is more phenomenological, its mathematical formalism is more elementary, but it may deal with a wider diversity of systems although with less detail. Further comparison and dialogue between both branches of extended thermodynamics would be useful for a fuller deployment and deepening of extended thermodynamics. Besides these two approaches, one should also consider the Hamiltonian approach, formalisms with internal variables, and more microscopic approaches, based on kinetic theory or on non-equilibrium ensemble formalisms. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fundamental aspects of nonequilibrium thermodynamics’.

Rational extended thermodynamics of dense polyatomic gases incorporating molecular rotation and vibration

The paper aims to construct a rational extended thermodynamics (RET) theory of dense polyatomic gases by taking into account the experimental evidence that the relaxation time of molecular rotation and that of molecular vibration are quite different from each other. For simplicity, we focus on gases with only one dissipative process due to bulk viscosity. In fact, in some polyatomic gases, the effect of bulk viscosity is much larger than that of shear viscosity and heat conductivity. The present theory includes the previous RET theory of dense gases with six fields as a particular case, and it also includes the RET theory of rarefied polyatomic gases with seven fields in the rarefied-gas limit. The closure is carried out by using the universal principles, that is, Galilean invariance and objectivity, entropy principle, and thermodynamic stability (convexity of entropy), where the duality principle connecting rarefied gases to dense gases also plays an important role. A detailed discussion is devoted to the expression of the production terms in the system of balance equations. As typical examples, we study a gas with virial equations of state and a van der Waals gas. Lastly the dispersion relation of a linear wave is derived, and its comparison with experimental data is made. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fundamental aspects of nonequilibrium thermodynamics’.