Kinetic model of adsorption on crystal surfaces

A kinetic theory model describing physisorption and chemisorption of gas particles on a crystal surface is introduced. A single kinetic equation is used to model gas and physisorbed particles interacting with a crystal potential and colliding with phonons. The phonons are assumed to be at equilibrium and the physisorbategas equation is coupled to similar kinetic equations describing chemisorbed particles and crystal atoms on the surface. A kinetic entropy is introduced for the coupled system and the H theorem is established. Using the Chapman-Enskog method with a fluid scaling, the asymptotic structure of the adsorbate is investigated and fluid boundary conditions are derived from the kinetic model.