Blundell Thermal Physics · Problem 8.4

The mean free path and collisions

Physics — Statistical Mechanics · mean-free-path-interstellar-gas

Problem

A diffuse cloud of neutral hydrogen atoms in space has a temperature of 50 K and number density 500 cm−3^{-3}. Estimate the mean scattering time (in years) between hydrogen atoms in the cloud. Estimate the mean free path (in astronomical units). (1 astronomical unit is the Earth--Sun distance; see Appendix A for a numerical value.)

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