Aggregate formation in a system of coagulating and fragmenting particles with mass-dependent diffusion rates

Abstract

The effect of introducing a mass-dependent diffusion rate approximately m(-alpha) in a model of coagulation with single-particle breakup is studied both analytically and numerically. The model with alpha=0 is known to undergo a nonequilibrium phase transition as the mass density in the system is varied from a phase with an exponential distribution of mass to a phase with a power-law distribution of masses in addition to a single infinite aggregate. This transition is shown to be curbed, at finite densities, for all alpha>0 in any dimension. However, a signature of this transition is seen in finite systems in the form of a large aggregate and the finite-size scaling implications of this are characterized. The exponents characterizing the steady-state probability that a randomly chosen site has mass m are calculated using scaling arguments. The full probability distribution is obtained within a mean-field approximation and found to compare well with the results from numerical simulations in one dimension.

Locations

• Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics - View
• arXiv (Cornell University) - View - PDF
• PubMed - View
• DataCite API - View