Free molecular sound propagation

The sound propagation through a gas in the free-molecular regime is studied on the basis of the linearized collisionless Boltzmann equation. The two principal quantities that characterize the sound propagation, namely the phase and amplitude of the perturbation, are determined by taking into account the influence of the receptor. It is shown that at a small distance between the source and the receptor the presence of the last changes qualitatively the sound characteristics. Two phase velocities are introduced: a differential and an integral, which are different in the free molecular regime.