Application of the diffusion equation for modelling splash dispersal of point-source pathogens
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 8, 2025

The Diffusion of Passive Tracers in Laminar Shear Flow
Published on: May 1, 2018
Xiusheng Yang1, Laurence V Madden1, Ross D Brazee2
1Department of Plant Pathology, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), The Ohio State University (OSU), Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA.
Abstract:
A model of splash dispersal of point-source pathogens is developed and parameterized from experimental data of Colletotrichum acutatum, the cause of strawberry anthracnose. Starting with analysis on a probability density function of a sum of random displacement vectors, the model turned out to be the fundamental solution of the classic diffusion equation. Model parameters were determined for three ground covers (plastic, soil, and straw) and two rain intensities (15 and 30 mm h-1 ). The nonlinear coefficient of determination varied from 0.80 to 0.96, indicating that the application of the diffusion equation is promising in modelling of splash dispersal processes from a point source over a homogeneous ground cover.
Related Concept Videos
Diffusion
Diffusion
Physiological Pharmacokinetic Models: Blood Flow-Limited Versus Diffusion-Limited Models
Theories of Dissolution: Diffusion Layer Model
This process starts with a thin layer, saturated with the drug, forming at the interface between the solid and liquid. The solute then diffuses from this layer into the main solution. The Noyes-Whitney equation suggests that the rate of dissolution relies on the diffusion...
Theories of Dissolution: The Danckwerts' Model and Interfacial Barrier Model
Passive Diffusion: Overview and Kinetics
When administered orally, drugs establish a substantial concentration gradient between the gastrointestinal (GI) lumen and the bloodstream, expediting...

