Kinetic Model of the Boltzmann Equation for a Diatomic Gas with Rotational Degrees of Freedom

A system of model kinetic equations is proposed to describe flows of a diatomic rarefied gas (nitrogen). A conservative numerical method is developed for its solution. A shock wave structure in nitrogen is computed, and the results are compared with experimental data in a wide range of Mach numbers. The system of model kinetic equations is intended to compute complex-geometry three-dimensional flows of a diatomic gas with rotational degrees of freedom.