The Effect of Nonequilibrium in Internal Degrees of Freedom of Molecules on Their Physical Properties

In previous chapters, it was shown how the excitation of internal degrees of freedom of molecules (rotational, vibrational, and electronic) affects their basic electric properties (dipole moment and polarizability). This can cause the variation of some essential physical properties of molecular gases, such as refractive index, intermolecular potentials, transport coefficients, and even rate constants of chemical reactions. These effects are relevant for various fields of molecular physics, chemical kinetics, and physical gas dynamics. In the present chapter, we will consider the specific mechanisms of this influence.