Calculation of Thermodynamic Properties of Ideal Gases at High Temperatures: Monatomic Gases.

摘要

The dual purpose of this report is to address the problems involved in extending the JANAF Thermochemical Tables for monatomic gases to higher temperatures (e.g. T > 6000 K), and the formulation of more definitive procedures for producing the tables in their present format (T < or = 6000 K). Since there is a total lack of experimental thermochemical data for high temperature gases, statistical mechanics must be used to calculate the thermodynamic properties. Thus some discussion of statistical mechanics is necessary and this is included in a non-rigorous manner. The problem of finding a suitable cutoff procedure for the electronic partition function constitutes the body of this report. In the final section a recommended method of extending the calculations to higher temperature is advanced, and a brief discussion of the remaining problems in implementing this method is given. An annotated bibliography of relevant literature is included. A method of predicting the theoretical statistical weight for the electronic energy levels of the first 86 elements is presented in an appendix. (Author)