The accuracy of Kramers' theory of chemical kinetics

O. Edholm and O. Leimar

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 1979, vol. 98, issue 1, 313-324

Abstract: The diffusive escape rate out of a potential well is studied. Kramers' original method is compared with the result of an eigenfunction analysis of the Smoluchowski equation for diffusion in a double well potential. It is shown that by evaluating exactly two integrals, calculated by Kramers in a gaussian approximation, the relative error will decrease with increasing barrier height V0 as e−V0, instead of V−10 as is the case in Kramers' method. A correction formula to Kramers' result is derived, which reduces the error to be of order V−20.

Date: 1979
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:98:y:1979:i:1:p:313-324

DOI: 10.1016/0378-4371(79)90182-1

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