Abstract
A general method is developed and applied to investigate the effect of interparticle electrostatic forces on the thermodynamic properties and equilibrium composition of air. The method employs standard statistical mechanical procedures except for certain adaptations. Retention of the full energy coupling between the electronic, vibration, and rotation states provides a criterion, based on the dissociation process, for terminating the internal partition sum for diatomic molecules. The rotational portion of the internal partition sum is evaluated by means of the Euler-Maclaurin summation technique using a finite instead of infinite upper limit based on dissociation. A study of the action of the electrostatic forces lends to an electrostatic model for simulating the interaction energy between an ion and the point charges which constitute its atmosphere. The electrostatic model employs a geometrical configuration of the charges of an ion atmosphere. It is reasoned that the charges may be considered to move about the ion in a plane polarized motion under the control of the electrostatic forces. This reasoning leads to a reduction of the ionization potential. It is not necessary to assume a low charge density. The method is applied over a temperature range from 400 K to 100,000 K and a density range from 10 (superscript -6.5) p(subscript o) to 1.000 P(subscript o) where P(subscript o) is the sea level density of air for the ARDC model atmosphere. The results of the calculation may be summarized in three statements. First, the electron concentration determined without consideration of the electrostatic forces must be increased in accordance with Figure G20 of this work to account for the effect of the electrostatic forces. The increase reaches a maximum of 70 percent..
Denton, Jesse C. (1963). Thermodynamic properties of air including interparticle electrostatic contributions. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -654944.