Energy exchange processes between electrons and photons in the strong radiation fields encountered in some astrophysical objects. III

Earlier work provides the basis of a study of a special problem of the relaxation of nonequilibrium isotropic radiation interacting with a nonrelativistic nondegenerate electron gas by man-photon Compton scattering at large value of the intensity parameter: ξ2 >> 1. The kinetic equation that describes the variation in time of the photon distribution function is investigated together with the equations that describe the variation in time of the total exchange energy and the heating and cooling of the electron gas. The electron temperature is found as a function of the time. Estimates of the characteristics of many-photon Comptonization for compact objects of extremely high luminosity are given. 14 refs