PROBLEMS OF GAS KINETICS IN SYSTEMS WITH ADSORBING WALLS

A mathematical method is proposed for the description of molecular motions in a high vacuum system with adsorbing walls. The fundamental quantities, ie sorbing and outgassing characteristics, geometrical co-ordination between surface elements, the position of a point internal to the system with respect to the surfaces, are all represented by matrices and vectors. The molecular trajectories are expressed in terms of operations on such matrices and vectors. In particular two expressions are derived, the first giving the rate of sorption of molecules on the surface, the second giving the density to be expected at a given location for a given gas load. © 1968.