POLARIZATION ENERGY-DISTRIBUTION FOR IMPURITY MOLECULES IN DENSE GASES

The polarization energy distribution of impurity molecules in dense ga ses is investigated. An approximate expression is derived for a random distribution and compared with results inferred from finite-temperatu re Monte Carlo studies for NO in argon (rho less than or equal to 2.7 x 10(21) cm(-3)). It is found that when rho less than or equal to 1.8- 2.0 x 10(21) cm(-3), the distribution has a similar shape with approx imately the same peak position as that obtained from the Monte Carlo c alculations. This result indicates that the peak position in this dens ity range is due primarily to the r(-4) dependence of the polarization energy and the random positions of the host molecules and does not re flect the hard core of the intermolecular interactions. (C) 1998 Ameri can Institute of Physics.