An Ontological Basis for the Diffusion Theory

Abstract

Fick’s diffusion equation represents physical reality that has been interpreted by Einstein and Smoluchowski. In this way, the question of interpretation of diffusion is answered in the affirmative. It gives rise to a new question critical for the understanding of our world: how broad is the spectrum of physical reality that diffusion could in principle give a complete account. The answer in this work is based on the elegant mathematical foundations formulated three decades before Fick by French mathematician Augustin Cauchy (~ 1822). It will be shown that the diffusion equation is a consequence of his model of the ideal elastic continuum. Namely, a product of the classical energy and momentum balance equations and their solutions. This demonstrates that the complete ontological construal of the diffusion theory exists. Explicitly, the interpretation of both, the diffusion equation and the flux constative formulae exist. The two terms in the flux equations, the driving forces defined by the potential gradients and the kinetic coefficients in front of the driving forces, are derived in this paper. Some fundamental consequences of all derived equations and relations for physics, chemistry and the prospects are presented. The ontological interpretation of the diffusion equation presented here provides evidence of the common roots of the chemistry and physics.