Six-Field Theory for a Polyatomic Gas Mixture: Extended Thermodynamics and Kinetic Models

Abstract

Polyatomic gases may be characterized by internal molecular degrees of freedom. As a consequence, at a macroscopic level, dynamic pressure appears, which may be related to the bulk viscosity of the gas. Inspired by the models of a single polyatomic gas with six fields, developed within rational extended thermodynamics (RET) and the kinetic theory of gases, this paper presents a six-field theory for the mixture of polyatomic gases. First, the macroscopic mixture model is developed within the framework of RET. Second, the mixture of gases with six fields is analyzed in the context of the kinetic theory of gases, and corresponding moment equations are derived. Finally, complete closure of the RET model, i.e., computation of the phenomenological coefficients, is achieved by means of a combined macroscopic/kinetic closure procedure.