Kinetic approach to chemical reactions and inelastic transitions in a rarefied gas

A kinetic approach is presented for the analysis of a gas mixture with two kinds of nonconservative interactions. In a bimolecular chemical reaction, mass transfer and energy of chemical link arise, and in inelastic mechanica l encounters, molecules get excited or de-excited due to their quantized st ructure. Molecules undergo transitions between energy levels also by absorp tion and emission of photons of the self-consistent radiation field. From t he kinetic Boltzmann-type equations, the problem of equilibria and of their stability is addressed. A detailed balance principle is proved and a Lyapu nov functional is constructed; mass action law and Planck's law of radiatio n are recovered.