On the solution of the Landau equation

Abstract

The Landau equation, which is a typical equation for weakly coupled gases, is examined. The derivation of the equation is discussed by means of a number of different approaches. It is found that for other than an infinite time application, the usual limits of integration are inappropriate. An approximate solution scheme is then proposed and applied to the solution of the relaxation of two homogeneous plasmas at different temperatures. The same problem is then analysed by using a conventional numerical scheme and the solutions compared. The approximate scheme was developed for both two and three dimensional systems.