Diffusion  

In General > s.a. Kinetic Theory; Transport.
* Types: One can have (Einstein-Smoluchovski) diffusion in space, or diffusion in velocity/momentum space; The former is associated with Brownian motion, and is not Lorentz-invariant – attemps at making it compatible with special relativity lead to diffusion equations that have instabilities – , while the latter has a relativistic version which is diffusion on the mass shell, or light cone for massless particles.
@ Diffusion processes: Stroock & Varadhan 79 [multidimensional, and martingale theory]; Krylov 95.
@ Discrete: Battaglia & Rasetti PLA(03) [arbitrary graphs].
@ Numerical: Ciliberti et al PRL(00) [and errors]; Revelli et al PhyA(04) [fluctuating medium-lattice]; Asokan & Zabaras JCP(06) [heterogeneous random media]; Tadjeran & Meerschaert JCP(07) [2D fractional].
@ Quantum: Field JGP(03) [on manifolds]; Pushkarov CEJP(04) [rev]; Fortin JPA(05) [random lattice, density of states].
@ Inhomogeneous medium: Farnell & Gibson JCP(04), JCP(05) [Monte Carlo]; Sattin PLA(08).
@ On arbitrary manifolds: Sorkin AP(86); Debbasch & Moreau PhyA(04) [2D curved surface]; Debbasch JMP(04) [curved spacetime Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process]; De Lara JGP(06) [and geometry].
@ Related topics: Tsallis pw(97)jul [Lévy distributions]; Mandelis PT(00)aug [diffusion waves]; Garbaczewski RPMP(07)cm [indeterminacy relationships]; Mura et al a0712 [non-Markovian].
@ Anomalous diffusion: Metzler & Klafter PRP(00) [and random walk]; Abe & Thurner PhyA(05) [from Einstein's theory of Brownian motion]; de Andrade et al PLA(05) [anistropic media]; Klafter & Sokolov pw(05)aug; Turski et al mp/07 [and fractional derivatives]; > s.a. brownian motion, differential equations.
@ Examples: Lemmens et al PLA(94) [fermions]; Zandvliet et al PT(01)jul [on semiconductor surfaces]; Bickel PhyA(07) [in confined domain].
@ Relativistic: Dunkel et al PRD(07)cm/06 [non-Markovian proposal]; Kazinski a0704 [from stochastic quantization].
@ Generalized: Kraenkel & Senthilvelan PS(01) [non-linear and higher-order]; Boon & Lutsko PhyA(06).

Diffusion Equation > s.a. heat equation; Steady State Equation.
$ Def: The equation u, t = · (pu) – qu + F(x,t).
$ Simple case: The standard form is t u = C v2 u, with solution u = (4Ct)–1/2 exp{–(vv0)2/4Ct}.
* Applications: Diffusion of one fluid through another; Agricultural technology in Neolithic Europe.
* Fick's law: In a steady state, J = –D/x, where D is the diffusion coefficient or constant; In non-steady state diffusion, /t = D 2/x2; Special cases are the heat and steady state equations [@ wikipedia page].
* Microscopically: One can express the diffusion constant in terms of the mean free path and mean free time as D = 2/.
* Einstein relation: A relation connecting the diffusion constant and the mobility, valid in the linear response regime.
@ Applications: SA(90)oct.
@ On graphs: Comtet et al JPA(05)cm [and localization].
@ On fractals: Eidelman & Kochubei m.AP/03; Cristadoro JPA(06) [from dynamical zeta function].
@ Fractional: Mainardi et al FCAA(01)cm/07 [fundamental solution]; Calvo et al PRL(07); Gorenflo & Mainardi a0801-in.
@ Related topics: Desloge AJP(62) [coefficient of diffusion for a gas]; Janavicius PLA(97) [non-linear, solution]; Fort & Méndez PRL(99) [time-delay term]; Islam PS(04) [Einstein-Smoluchovski equation, discussion]; Aranovicha & Donohue PhyA(07) [improved model without mean-free-path inconsistency]; Blickle et al PRL(07) [Einstein relation generalized to non-equilibrium]; Ivanova & Sophocleous JPA(08) [conservation laws].
> Related topics: see brownian motion, partial differential equations, fokker-planck equation, Transport.


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