Kinetics of contact processes under segregation.

Abstract

The kinetics of contact processes are determined by the interplay among local mass transfer mechanisms, spatial heterogeneity, and segregation. Determining the macroscopic behavior of a wide variety of phenomena across the disciplines requires linking reaction times to the statistical properties of spatially fluctuating quantities. We formulate the dynamics of advected agents interacting with segregated immobile components in terms of a chemical continuous-time random walk. The inter-reaction times result from the first-passage times of mobile species to and across reactive regions, and available immobile reactants undergo a restart procedure. Segregation leads to memory effects and enhances the role of concentration fluctuations in the large-scale dynamics.