Evaluation of the rate constant and deposition velocity for the escape of Brownian particles over potential barriers

Abstract

We analyze the escape of Brownian particles over potential barriers using the Fokker-Planck equation in a similar way to that of Chandrasekhar (Rev. Modern Phys., 1943), deriving a formula for the particle deposition velocity to a surface as a function of the particle response time. For very small particle response times, the particle deposition velocity reduces to that obtained using a quasi-steady solution of Smoluchowski's equation and for very large particle response times, the deposition velocity corresponds to that based on the transition state method (E. Wigner, Trans. Faraday Soc., 1938).