Repelling random walkers in a diffusion-coalescence system

Abstract

We have shown that the steady state probability distribution function of a diffusion-coalescence system on a one-dimensional lattice of length L with reflecting boundaries can be written in terms of a superposition of double-shock structures which perform biased random walks on the lattice while repelling each other. The shocks can enter into the system and leave it from the boundaries. Depending on the microscopic reaction rates, the system is known to have two different phases. We have found that the mean distance between the shock positions is of order L in one phase while it is of order 1 in the other phase.