Application of Results

Abstract

In this concluding chapter the concepts developed for describing cross sections and rate constants are applied to a few of the problem areas discussed in Chapter 1. This discussion, being consistent with the rest of the text, is not intended to be a state-of-the art presentation on each topic and the ideas presented are, for the most part, well established. Further, the cross-section models used are quite simple. In the previous chapters the relationship between the simple and more accurate models for cross sections have been considered. Therefore, the reader should have a feel for the kinds of errors introduced by the choice of cross-section model and is encouraged to include improved estimates. Care should be taken that the increased complexity caused by using a more accurate approximation for cross section is warranted by the correctness of the description of the physical problem. In the following no statement is implied about this. I have only chosen models which lend themselves to either analytic solutions for the problem or to simplifying the presentation. This merely follows the lead of a number of authors who have made wide use of simple cross-sectional forms in discussing, for example, complex radiation transport problems. In many other cases I have simply taken results for certain rate constants generally used in the literature without further discussion, particularly for processes considered in Chapter 5.