Kinetic Models and Brillouin Scattering in a Molecular Gas

Within the framework of the Wang Chang–Uhlenbeck kinetic equation, we propose a model description of molecular gases. The model is related to the models earlier discussed by Hanson and Morse. In our formulation, the model requires no adjustable parameters to analyze the light scattering spectrum from a molecular gas. We apply the model theory to recent Brillouin scattering experiments on hydrogen, deuterium, and hydrogen deuteride and find excellent agreement.