  We study the relaxation and damping dynamics of an ultracold, but not quantum
degenerate, gas consisting of dipolar particles. These simulations are
performed using a direct simulation Monte Carlo method and employing the highly
anisotropic differential cross section of dipoles in the Wigner threshold
regime. We find that both cross-dimensional relaxation and damping of breathing
modes occur at rates that are strongly dependent on the orientation of the
dipole moments relative to the trap axis. The relaxation simulations are in
excellent agreement with recent experimental results in erbium. The results
direct our interest toward a less explored regime in dipolar gases where
interactions are dominated by collision processes rather than mean-field
interactions.
