Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
Published on: August 13, 2019
Fokker-Planck equation for transport of wave packets in nonlinear disordered media
Nicolas Cherroret1, Thomas Wellens
1Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder Strasse 3, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Starting from first principles, we formulate a theory of wave-packet propagation in a nonlinear, disordered medium of any dimension, through the derivation of a Fokker-Planck transport equation. Our theory is based on a diagrammatic expansion of the wave packet's density, and is supported by a heuristic picture that involves a Boltzmann equation with an effective, external potential. Our approach also confirms results obtained in previous work for two-dimensional, nonlinear disordered media.
Related Concept Videos
The de Broglie Wavelength
Graphing the Wave Function
Interference and Diffraction
Velocity and Acceleration of a Wave
The velocity of the particles can be obtained by taking the partial derivative of the position equation with respect to time. We can...
Electromagnetic Waves in Matter
Consider the electromagnetic wave passing through a dielectric medium. In such a case, Maxwell's equations get modified. In Ampere's law, ε0 , the dielectric permittivity of free space is replaced with ε, the permittivity of dielectric. Also, the vacuum permeability μ0 is replaced by the permeability of the medium, μ.
Furthermore, the...
Propagation Speed of Electromagnetic Waves

