Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 March 2009
The collisional transfer tensor for energy and transfer vector for momentum exchange between drifting tri-Maxwellians for an arbitrary central interaction force between neutral and/or ionized particles are evaluated. We introduce the new concept of a generalized Rosenbluth potential whereby the heat and momentum exchange rates can be written in a concise form. We also discuss the associated time-scales which depend on the masses, densities, temperatures, and drift velocities of the two colliding species.