Distribution functions

Vikrant July 8, 2012

Collisionless Boltzmann equation

We consider our system to be composed of N identical point masses m and neglect collisions. We denote the probability of nding a particular star at any point in the phase-space as f (x, v). This probability is the same for all the star as we have considered them to be identical. From the normalization condition we get,

3 x 3 v f (x, v) = 1.
0

Stars moves through phase-space and hence the probability of nding it at any phase-space location evolves with time. It should be noted that the unit phasespace volume is the same in all co-ordinate systems w = (p q). Analogous to the mass conservation in uid-dynamics, + (x) = 0, t x where is the density at given x, we have for the conservation of probability the equation, f + (f w) = 0. (1) t w Now, (f w) = (f q) + w q H = f q p H f = q p f =q +p q
2

(f p) p H f p q f H p q f . p
2

(2) (3)

H where in step (3), the fact that q p = p H has been used. Thus by (1), q we have the collisionless Boltzmann equation as,

f f f +q +p = 0. t q p

(4)

One denes the convective derivative as the frame running along with the uid ow and is related to the laboratory frame by the relation, df f f = +w . dt t w but this is exactly the same expression as (4). Thus collisionless Boltzmann equation can also be written as df = 0, dt (5)

the local probability remains unchanged; in other words, the ow of the probability uid is incompressible.