Distribution function (physics): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:45, 16 April 2014

Revision as of 08:43, 29 December 2014

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{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}

:''This article describes the ''distribution function'' as used in physics. You may be looking for the related mathematical concepts of [[cumulative distribution function]] or [[probability density function]].''

{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}

In molecular [[kinetic theory]] in [[physics]], a particle's '''distribution function''' is a function of seven variables, <math>f(x,y,z,t;v_x,v_y,v_z)</math>, which gives the number of particles per unit volume in single-particle [[phase space]]. It is the number of particles per unit volume having approximately the [[velocity]] <math>(v_x,v_y,v_z)</math> near the place <math>(x,y,z)</math> and time <math>(t)</math>. The usual normalization of the distribution function is