SOLUTION OF THE FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION FOR REACTIVE RAYLEIGH GAS

A Rayleigh model of heavy molecules diluted in a thermal bath of light molecules is extended to include a chemical reaction between both spe cies. The solution of the appropriate Fokker-Planck equation for the d istribution function is obtained from the corresponding solution for t he nonreactive mixture. In the hydrodynamic regime the shape of the ve locity distribution of heavy molecules is Maxwellian, but with a tempe rature different from that of the carrier gas. Exact results are deriv ed for the reaction rate constant and diffusion coefficient.