kb/data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnett_equations-0.md

6.5 KiB
Raw Blame History

title chunk source category tags date_saved instance
Burnett equations 1/1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnett_equations reference science, encyclopedia 2026-05-05T12:04:25.352895+00:00 kb-cron

In continuum mechanics, a branch of mathematics, the Burnett equations are a set of higher-order continuum equations for non-equilibrium flows and the transition regimes where the NavierStokes equations do not perform well. They were derived by the English mathematician D. Burnett.

== Series expansion ==

=== Series expansion approach === The series expansion technique used to derive the Burnett equations involves expanding the distribution function

    f
  

{\displaystyle f}

in the Boltzmann equation as a power series in the Knudsen number

      K
      n
    
  

{\displaystyle \mathrm {Kn} }

:

    f
    (
    r
    ,
    c
    ,
    t
    )
    =
    
      f
      
        (
        0
        )
      
    
    (
    c
    
      |
    
    n
    ,
    u
    ,
    T
    )
    
      [
      
        1
        +
        
          K
          n
        
        
          ϕ
          
            (
            1
            )
          
        
        (
        c
        
          |
        
        n
        ,
        u
        ,
        T
        )
        +
        
          
            K
            n
          
          
            2
          
        
        
          ϕ
          
            (
            2
            )
          
        
        (
        c
        
          |
        
        n
        ,
        u
        ,
        T
        )
        +
        ⋯
      
      ]
    
  

{\displaystyle f(r,c,t)=f^{(0)}(c|n,u,T)\left[1+\mathrm {Kn} \phi ^{(1)}(c|n,u,T)+\mathrm {Kn} ^{2}\phi ^{(2)}(c|n,u,T)+\cdots \right]}

Here,

      f
      
        (
        0
        )
      
    
    (
    c
    
      |
    
    n
    ,
    u
    ,
    T
    )
  

{\displaystyle f^{(0)}(c|n,u,T)}

represents the Maxwell-Boltzmann equilibrium distribution function, dependent on the number density

    n
  

{\displaystyle n}

, macroscopic velocity

    u
  

{\displaystyle u}

, and temperature

    T
  

{\displaystyle T}

. The terms

      ϕ
      
        (
        1
        )
      
    
    ,
    
      ϕ
      
        (
        2
        )
      
    
    ,
    …
  

{\displaystyle \phi ^{(1)},\phi ^{(2)},\dots }

are higher-order corrections that account for non-equilibrium effects, with each subsequent term incorporating higher powers of the Knudsen number.

=== Derivation === The first-order term

      f
      
        (
        1
        )
      
    
  

{\displaystyle f^{(1)}}

in the expansion gives the Navier-Stokes equations, which include terms for viscosity and thermal conductivity. To obtain the Burnett equations, one must retain terms up to second order, corresponding to

      ϕ
      
        (
        2
        )
      
    
  

{\displaystyle \phi ^{(2)}}

. The Burnett equations include additional second-order derivatives of velocity, temperature, and density, representing more subtle effects of non-equilibrium gas dynamics. The Burnett equations can be expressed as:

        u
      
      
        t
      
    
    +
    (
    
      u
    
    ⋅
    ∇
    )
    
      u
    
    +
    ∇
    p
    =
    ∇
    ⋅
    (
    ν
    ∇
    
      u
    
    )
    +
    
      higher-order terms
    
  

{\displaystyle \mathbf {u} _{t}+(\mathbf {u} \cdot \nabla )\mathbf {u} +\nabla p=\nabla \cdot (\nu \nabla \mathbf {u} )+{\text{higher-order terms}}}

Here, the "higher-order terms" involve second-order gradients of velocity and temperature, which are absent in the Navier-Stokes equations. These terms become significant in situations with high Knudsen numbers, where the assumptions of the Navier-Stokes framework break down.

== Extensions == The Onsager-Burnett Equations, commonly referred to as OBurnett, which form a superset of the Navier-Stokes equations and are second-order accurate for Knudsen number.

== Derivation ==

Starting with the Boltzmann equation

          ∂
          
            f
          
        
        
          ∂
          
            t
          
        
      
    
    +
    
      c
      
        k
      
    
    ∂
    
      f
    
    
      
        x
        
          k
        
      
    
    +
    
      F
      
        k
      
    
    ∂
    
      f
    
    
      
        c
        
          k
        
      
    
    =
    J
    (
    f
    ,
    
      f
      
        1
      
    
    )
  

{\displaystyle {\frac {\partial {f}}{\partial {t}}}+c_{k}\partial {f}{x_{k}}+F_{k}\partial {f}{c_{k}}=J(f,f_{1})}

== See also == Fluid dynamics Lars Onsager Non-dimensionalization and scaling of the NavierStokes equations Stokes equations ChapmanEnskog theory Navier-Stokes equations

== References ==

== Further reading == García-Colín, L.S.; Velasco, R.M.; Uribe, F.J. (August 2008). "Beyond the NavierStokes equations: Burnett hydrodynamics". Physics Reports. 465 (4): 149189. Bibcode:2008PhR...465..149G. doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2008.04.010.