A kinetic model of the Boltzmann equation for the power-law interaction potential between molecules

A model kinetic equation approximating the Boltzmann equation with a linearized collision integral is constructed to describe rarefied gas flows at moderate and low Knudsen numbers. The kinetic model describes gas flows with a power-law intermolecular interaction potential and involves five relaxation parameters. The structure of a shock wave is computed, and the results are compared with an experiment for argon.