Distinguishability of particles and its implications for peculiar mass transport in inhomogeneous media

Abstract

A mass transport directed from low to high density region in an inhomogeneous medium is modeled as a limiting case of a two-component lattice gas with excluded volume constraint and one of the components fixed. In the long-wavelength approximation, density relaxation of mobile particles is governed by a diffusion process and interaction with a medium inhomogeneity represented by a static component distribution. It is shown that density relaxation can be locally accompanied by a density distribution compression. In quasi one-dimensional case, the compression dynamics manifests itself in a hopping-like motion of diffusing substance packet front position due to a staged passing through inhomogeneity barriers and leads to a fragmentation of a packet and retardation of its spreading. A root-mean-square displacement reflects only an averaged packet front dynamics and becomes inappropriate as a transport characteristic in this regime. In a stationary case mass transport throughout a whole system may be directed from a boundary with low concentration towards a boundary with that of high one. Implications of the excluded volume constraint and particles distinguishability for these effects are discussed.