Escape by diffusion from a double-well potential across a barrier

B.U. Felderhof

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2008, vol. 387, issue 23, 5752-5760

Abstract: Escape by diffusion from a double-well potential across a barrier is studied on the basis of the Smoluchowski equation in one dimension. By comparison with exact results for a piecewise parabolic potential a reduced description is constructed in terms of a set of rate equations for the occupation probabilities of the two wells. The rate equations contain memory terms and a source term for the rate of return from the outer space. The reduced description yields a quite accurate approximation for the two example potentials studied.

Keywords: Escape; Diffusion; Double-well potential; Smoluchowski equation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:387:y:2008:i:23:p:5752-5760

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2008.06.021

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