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Published on: September 5, 2019
Collision densities and mean residence times for d-dimensional exponential flights
A Zoia1, E Dumonteil, A Mazzolo
1Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Direction de l'Energie Nucléaire, Département de Modélisation des Systèmes et Structures, Service d'Etudes des Réacteurs et de Mathématiques Appliquées, CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France. andrea.zoia@cea.fr
Abstract:
In this paper we analyze some aspects of exponential flights, a stochastic process that governs the evolution of many random transport phenomena, such as neutron propagation, chemical or biological species migration, and electron motion. We introduce a general framework for d-dimensional setups and emphasize that exponential flights represent a deceivingly simple system, where in most cases closed-form formulas can hardly be obtained. We derive a number of exact (where possible) or asymptotic results, among which are the stationary probability density for two-dimensional systems, a long-standing issue in physics, and the mean residence time in a given volume. Bounded or unbounded domains as well as scattering or absorbing domains are examined, and Monte Carlo simulations are performed so as to support our findings.
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