Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium diffusion approximation for the radiative transfer equation

Abstract: In this paper we study the distribution of the temperature within a body where the heat is transported only by radiation. Specifically, we consider the situation where both emission-absorption and scattering processes take place. We study the initial boundary value problem given by the coupling of the radiative transfer equation with the energy balance equation on a convex domain $ \Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^3 $ in the diffusion approximation regime, i.e. when the mean free path of the photons tends to zero. Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions we will derive the limit initial boundary value problems for all different possible scaling limit regimes and we will classify them as equilibrium or non-equilibrium diffusion approximation. Moreover, we will observe the formation of boundary and initial layers for which suitable equations are obtained. We will consider both stationary and time dependent problems as well as different situations in which the light is assumed to propagate either instantaneously or with finite speed.