Anomalous Diffusion Research Articles

Diffusion in Porous Rock Is Anomalous.

Molecular diffusion of chemical species in subsurface environments─rock formations, soil sediments, marine, river, and lake sediments─plays a critical role in a variety of dynamic processes, many of which affect water chemistry. We investigate and demonstrate the occurrence of anomalous (non-Fickian) diffusion behavior, distinct from classically assumed Fickian diffusion. We measured molecular diffusion through a series of five chalk and dolomite rock samples over a period of about two months. We demonstrate that in all cases, diffusion behavior is significantly different than Fickian. We then analyze the results using a continuous time random walk framework that can describe anomalous diffusion in heterogeneous porous materials such as rock. This methodology shows extreme long-time tailing of tracer advance as compared to conventional Fickian diffusion processes. The finding that distinct anomalous diffusion occurs ubiquitously implies that diffusion-driven processes in subsurface zones should be analyzed using tools that account for non-Fickian diffusion.

Anomalous and ultraslow diffusion of a particle driven by power-law-correlated and distributed-order noises

Abstract We study the generalised Langevin equation approach to anomalous diffusion for a harmonic oscillator and a free particle driven by different forms of internal noises, such as power-law-correlated and distributed-order noises that fulfil generalised versions of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. The mean squared displacement and the normalised displacement correlation function are derived for the different forms of the friction memory kernel. The corresponding overdamped generalised Langevin equations for these cases are also investigated. It is shown that such models can be used to describe anomalous diffusion in complex media, giving rise to subdiffusion, superdiffusion, ultraslow diffusion, strong anomaly, and other complex diffusive behaviours.

Anomalous diffusion of synaptic vesicles and its influences on spontaneous and evoked neurotransmission.

Neurons in the central nervous system communicate with each other by activating billions of tiny synaptic boutons distributed along their fine axons. These presynaptic varicosities are very crowded environments, comprising hundreds of synaptic vesicles. Only a fraction of these vesicles can be recruited in a single release episode, either spontaneous or evoked by action potentials. Since the seminal work by Fatt and Katz, spontaneous release has been modelled as a memoryless process. Nevertheless, at central synapses, experimental evidence indicates more complex features, including non-exponential distributions of release intervals and power-law behaviour in their rate. To describe these features, we developed a probabilistic model of spontaneous release based on Brownian motion of synaptic vesicles in the presynaptic environment. To account for different diffusion regimes, we based our simulations on fractional Brownian motion. We show that this model can predict both deviation from the Poisson hypothesis and power-law features in experimental quantal release series, thus suggesting that the vesicular motion by diffusion could per se explain the emergence of these properties. We demonstrate the efficacy of our modelling approach using electrophysiological recordings at single synaptic boutons and ultrastructural data. When this approach was used to simulate evoked responses, we found that the replenishment of the readily releasable pool driven by Brownian motion of vesicles can reproduce the characteristic binomial release distributions seen experimentally. We believe that our modelling approach supports the idea that vesicle diffusion and readily releasable pool dynamics are crucial factors for the physiological functioning of neuronal communication. KEY POINTS: We developed a new probabilistic model of spontaneous and evoked vesicle fusion based on simple biophysical assumptions, including the motion of vesicles before they dock to the release site. We provide closed-form equations for the interval distribution of spontaneous releases in the special case of Brownian diffusion of vesicles, showing that a power-law heavy tail is generated. Fractional Brownian motion (fBm) was exploited to simulate anomalous vesicle diffusion, including directed and non-directed motion, by varying the Hurst exponent. We show that our model predicts non-linear features observed in experimental spontaneous quantal release series as well as ultrastructural data of synaptic vesicles spatial distribution. Evoked exocytosis based on a diffusion-replenished readily releasable pool might explain the emergence of power-law behaviour in neuronal activity.

Limiting behavior of quasilinear wave equations with fractional-type dissipation

Abstract In this work, we investigate a class of quasilinear wave equations of Westervelt type with, in general, nonlocal-in-time dissipation. They arise as models of nonlinear sound propagation through complex media with anomalous diffusion of Gurtin–Pipkin type. Aiming at minimal assumptions on the involved memory kernels – which we allow to be weakly singular – we prove the well-posedness of such wave equations in a general theoretical framework. In particular, the Abel fractional kernels, as well as Mittag-Leffler-type kernels, are covered by our results. The analysis is carried out uniformly with respect to the small involved parameter on which the kernels depend and which can be physically interpreted as the sound diffusivity or the thermal relaxation time. We then analyze the behavior of solutions as this parameter vanishes, and in this way relate the equations to their limiting counterparts. To establish the limiting problems, we distinguish among different classes of kernels and analyze and discuss all ensuing cases.

An efficient approach for solving a class of fractional anomalous diffusion equation with convergence

Abstract This article presents a study on Fractional Anomalous Diffusion (FAD) and proposes a novel numerical algorithm for solving Cupoto’s type fractional sub-diffusion equations. to convert the fractional model into a set of nonlinear algebraic equations. These equations are efficiently solved using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. The study provides the error analysis to validate the proposed method. The effectiveness and accuracy of the method are demonstrated through several test problems, and its performance and reliability are compared with other existing methods in the literature. The results indicate that the proposed method is a reliable and efficient technique for solving fractional sub-diffusion equations, with better accuracy and computational efficiency than other existing methods. The study’s findings have important implications for researchers working in the field of fractional calculus. They could provide a valuable tool for solving sub-diffusion equations in various applications, including physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering.

ANOMALOUS DIFFUSION MODELS AND MANDELBROT SCALING-LAW SOLUTIONS

In this paper, the anomalous diffusion models are studied in the framework of the scaling-law calculus with the Mandelbrot scaling law. A analytical technology analogous to the Fourier transform is proposed to deal with the one-dimensional scaling-law diffusion equation. The scaling-law series formula via Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts function is efficient and accurate for finding exact solutions for the scaling-law PDEs arising in the Mandelbrot scaling-law phenomena.

Correlation between structure and dynamics of liquid GeO2 under compression

Correlation between structure and dynamics of GeO2 system under compression is investigated by molecular dynamics and Monte-Carlo methods. Results show that structural phase transition occurs at the range of oxygen packing factor from 0.55 to 0.60. Self-diffusion coefficient of Ge and O exhibits anomalous and depends on percentage of GeOx polyhedrons (x = 4,5,6) and packing factor/ free volume of model. The self-diffusion coefficient can be determined via percentage of GeOx units and free volume fraction. The data mining technique is applied to clarify the polyamorphism, structure and dynamics heterogeneities. The cause of anomalous diffusion has been elucidated.

Asymptotic Behavior of Global Solution of an Anomalous Gray Scott Model

The object of this paper is to prove that existence global and asymptotic behavior of solutions for anomalous coupled reaction diffusion system (Gray Scott model) with homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions. The existence and uniqueness of the local solution are given by the Banach fixed point theorem. However, the asymptotic behavior is investiged by technique semi group estimates and the Sobolev embedding theorem      

Beta Brownian Motion

Abstract Brownian Motion (BM) is the paradigmatic model of diffusion. Transcending from diffusion to anomalous diffusion, the prominent Gaussian generalizations of BM are Scaled BM (SBM) and Fractional BM (FBM). In the sub/super diffusivity regimes: SBM is characterized by aging/anti-aging, and FBM is characterized by anti-persistence/persistence. BM is neither aging/anti-aging, nor persistent/anti-persistent. Within the realm of diffusion, a recent Gaussian generalization of BM, Weird BM (WBM), was shown to display aging/anti-aging and persistence /anti-persistence. This paper introduces and explores the anomalous-diffusion counterpart of WBM, Beta BM (BBM), and shows that: the weird behaviors of WBM become even weirder when elevating to BBM. Indeed, BBM displays a rich assortment of anomalous behaviors, and an even richer assortment of combinations of anomalous behaviors. In particular, the BBM anomalous behaviors include aging/anti-aging and persistence/anti-persistence -- which BBM displays in both the sub and super diffusivity regimes. So, anomalous behaviors that are unattainable by the prominent models of SBM and FBM are well attainable by the BBM model.

On wavefront patterns in a fractional reaction–diffusion model for predator–prey system with anti-predator behavior

AbstractIn recent studies, much attention has been paid to reaction–diffusion systems with anomalous diffusion. In this paper, we investigate the formation of wavefront patterns in a predator–prey model with anti-predator behavior under the influence of anomalous subdiffusion. We use methods of traveling wave analysis and numerical integration to establish the existence of traveling wavefront solutions. Further, obtained traveling wavefront solutions are validated through direct computer simulations of time-dependent solutions for fractional partial differential equation system. It is found that wavefronts exist in a range of system parameters, which travel faster in the subdiffusive system than in the normal diffusive one.

Hierarchically Coupled Ornstein–Uhlenbeck Processes for Transient Anomalous Diffusion

The nonlinear dependence of the mean-squared displacement (MSD) on time is a common characteristic of particle transport in complex environments. Frequently, this anomalous behavior only occurs transiently before the particle reaches a terminal Fickian diffusion. This study shows that a system of hierarchically coupled Ornstein–Uhlenbeck equations is able to describe both transient subdiffusion and transient superdiffusion dynamics, as well as their sequential combinations. To validate the model, five distinct experimental, molecular dynamics simulation, and theoretical studies are successfully described by the model. The comparison includes the transport of particles in random optical fields, supercooled liquids, bedrock, soft colloidal suspensions, and phonons in solids. The model’s broad applicability makes it a convenient tool for interpreting the MSD profiles of particles exhibiting transient anomalous diffusion.

Liquid Vortex Formation in a Swirling Container Considering Fractional Time Derivative of Caputo

This paper applies fractional calculus to a practical example in fluid mechanics, illustrating its impact beyond traditional integer order calculus. We focus on the classic problem of a rigid body rotating within a uniformly rotating container, which generates a liquid vortex from an undisturbed initial state. Our aim is to compare the time evolutions of the physical system in fractional and integer order models by examining the torque transmission from the rotating body to the surrounding liquid. This is achieved through closed-form, time-developing solutions expressed in terms of Mittag–Leffler and Bessel functions. Analysis reveals that the rotational velocity and, consequently, the vortex structure of the liquid are influenced by three distinct time zones that differ between integer and noninteger models. Anomalous diffusion, favoring noninteger fractions, dominates at early times but gradually gives way to the integer derivative model behavior as time progresses through a transitional regime. Our derived vortex formula clearly demonstrates how the liquid vortex is regulated in time for each considered fractional model.

A finite-volume scheme for fractional diffusion on bounded domains

Abstract We propose a new fractional Laplacian for bounded domains, expressed as a conservation law and thus particularly suited to finite-volume schemes. Our approach permits the direct prescription of no-flux boundary conditions. We first show the well-posedness theory for the fractional heat equation. We also develop a numerical scheme, which correctly captures the action of the fractional Laplacian and its anomalous diffusion effect. We benchmark numerical solutions for the Lévy–Fokker–Planck equation against known analytical solutions. We conclude by numerically exploring properties of these equations with respect to their stationary states and long-time asymptotics.

Cryo-Milled β-Glucan Nanoparticles for Oral Drug Delivery.

Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog effective against a number of cancers. However, it has an oral bioavailability of less than 10%, due to its high hydrophilicity and low permeability through the intestinal epithelium. Therefore, the aim of this project was to develop a novel nanoparticulate drug delivery system for the oral delivery of gemcitabine to improve its oral bioavailability. In this study, gemcitabine-loaded β-glucan NPs were fabricated using a film-casting method followed by a freezer-milling technique. As a result, the NPs showed a small particle size of 447.6 ± 14.2 nm, and a high drug entrapment efficiency of 64.3 ± 2.1%. By encapsulating gemcitabine into β-glucan NPs, a sustained drug release profile was obtained, and the anomalous diffusion release mechanism was analyzed, indicating that the drug release was governed by diffusion through the NP matrix as well as matrix erosion. The drug-loaded NPs had a greater ex vivo drug permeation through the porcine intestinal epithelial membrane compared to the plain drug solution. Cytotoxicity studies showed a safety profile of the β-glucan polymers, and the IC50s of drug solution and drug-loaded β-glucan NPs were calculated as 228.8 ± 31.2 ng·mL-1 and 306.1 ± 46.3 ng·mL-1, respectively. Additionally, the LD50 of BALB/c nude mice was determined as 204.17 mg/kg in the acute toxicity studies. Notably, pharmacokinetic studies showed that drug-loaded β-glucan NPs could achieve a 7.4-fold longer T1/2 and a 5.1-fold increase in oral bioavailability compared with plain drug solution. Finally, in vivo pharmacodynamic studies showed the promising capability of gemcitabine-loaded β-glucan NPs to inhibit the 4T1 breast tumor growth, with a 3.04- and 1.74-fold reduction compared to the untreated control and drug solution groups, respectively. In conclusion, the presented freezer-milled β-glucan NP system is a suitable drug delivery method for the oral delivery of gemcitabine and demonstrates a promising potential platform for oral chemotherapy.

Existence and asymptotic stability of mild solution to fractional Keller‐Segel‐Navier‐Stokes system

This paper investigates the Cauchy problem for time‐space fractional Keller‐Segel‐Navier‐Stokes model in , which can describe the memory effect and anomalous diffusion of the considered system. The local and global existence and uniqueness in weak space are obtained by means of abstract fixed point theorem. Moreover, we explore the asymptotic stability of solutions as time goes to infinity.

Modelling dielectric behaviour and anomalous relaxation in chromonic liquid crystals

ABSTRACT We discuss the feasibility of applying a frequency-dependent diffusive model to study the dielectric response of complex fluids. The model considers the effect of free and bound particles by solving a non-exponential relaxation behaviour and anomalous diffusion phenomena into a coupled system of differential equations and boundary conditions. To illustrate the potentialities of the model in the data interpretation, we used the experimental results that provide the frequency spectra of a system formed by an aqueous solution of sunset yellow, a chromonic liquid crystal. Our model yields a considerably better adjustment of the experimental data compared to the simple Havriliak-Negami model and provides the relaxation frequency due to the director mode associated with the stack fluctuations about their short axis. Furthermore, we obtained parameters associated with the ion motion nature of the sample, including diffusion coefficient, Debye length and the ionic diffusive regime, which present a similar subdiffusive behaviour found in nematic thermotropic liquid crystals.

Concentration-Dependent Diffusion of Monoclonal Antibodies: Underlying Mechanisms of Anomalous Diffusion.

The development, storage, transport, and subcutaneous delivery of highly concentrated monoclonal antibody formulations pose significant challenges due to the high solution viscosity and low diffusion of the antibody molecules in crowded environments. These issues often stem from the self-associating behavior of the antibody molecules, potentially leading to aggregation. In this work, we used a dissipative particle dynamics-based coarse-grained model to investigate the diffusion behavior of IgG1 antibody molecules in aqueous solutions with 15 and 32 mM NaCl and antibody concentrations ranging from 10 to 400 mg/mL. We determined the coarse-grained interaction parameters by matching the calculated structure factor with the computational and experimental data from the literature. Our results indicate Fickian diffusion for antibody concentrations of 10 and 25 mg/mL and anomalous diffusion for concentrations exceeding 50 mg/mL. The anomalous diffusion was observed for ∼0.33 to 0.4 μs, followed by Fickian diffusion for all antibody concentrations. We observed a strong linear correlation between the diffusion behavior of the antibody molecules (diffusion coefficient D and anomalous diffusion exponent α) and the amount of aggregates present in the solution and between the amount of aggregates and the Coulomb interaction energy. The investigation of underlying mechanisms for anomalous diffusion revealed that in crowded environments at high antibody concentrations, the attractive interaction between electrostatically complementary regions of the antibody molecules could further bring the neighboring molecules closer to one another, ultimately resulting in aggregate formation. Further, the Coulomb attraction can continue to draw more molecules together, forming larger aggregates.

Some transforms, Riemann–Liouville fractional operators, and applications of newly extended M–L (p, s, k) function

Abstract There are several problems in physics, such as kinetic energy equation, wave equation, anomalous diffusion process, and viscoelasticity that are described well in the fractional differential equation form. Therefore, the solutions with elementary solution method cannot be solved and described deliberately with detailed physics of the problems, so these problems are solved with the help of special operators such as Mittag–Leffler (M–L) functions equipped with Riemann–Liouville (R–L) fractional operators. Hence, keeping in view the above-mentioned problems in physics in the current study, the generalized properties are derived M–L functions connected with R–L fractional operators that are investigated in the generalized form. These extended special operators will be used for the solutions of generalized kinetic energy equation. The M–L function is a fundamental special function with a wide range of applications in mathematics, physics, engineering, and various scientific disciplines. Ayub et al. gave the definition of newly extended M–L ( p , s , k ) \left(p,s,k) function. Also, they gave its convergence condition and found several results relevant to that. The purpose of this study is to investigate newly extended M–L function and study its elementary properties and integral transforms such as Whittaker transform and fractional Fourier transform. The R–L fractional operator is a fundamental concept in fractional calculus, a branch of mathematics that generalizes differentiation and integration to non-integer orders. In this study, we discuss the relation of M–L ( p , s , k ) \left(p,s,k) -function and R–L fractional operators. In some cases, fractional calculus is used to describe kinetic energy equations, particularly in systems where fractional derivatives are more appropriate than classical integer-order derivatives. The M–L function can appear as a solution or as a part of the solution to these fractional kinetic energy equations. Also, we gave the generalization of kinetic energy equation and its solution in terms of newly extended M–L function.

Anomalous Pressure Diffusion and Deformation in Two‐ and Three‐Dimensional Heterogeneous Fractured Media

AbstractIn fractured and stress‐sensitive reservoirs and aquifers, hydromechanical coupling is important, in connection with their heat and solute transport properties, and because the fluid production or extraction leads to land subsidence and potentially to induced seismicity. Classical dual‐porosity poroelasticity (DPP) models cannot upscale pressure diffusion and deformation in fractured porous media, which are characterized by anomalous behaviors that manifest in strong tailing in the temporal evolution of flow rate and subsidence. We study these behaviors using detailed numerical simulations of fluid production in naturally fractured formations characterized by multi‐Gaussian distributions of the matrix permeability. We find that the tailing behaviors depend on the permeability contrast between fracture and matrix, on the permeability distribution in the matrix, and on the correlation length. We use a non–equilibrium, multi‐porosity model to quantify the coupled behaviors of anomalous pressure diffusion, fluid flow and deformation. The model is parameterized by medium and fluid properties, which set the characteristic pressure diffusion time scales. It allows to identify the emerging scaling regimes and scaling behaviors of flow rate and subsidence. We propose a model implementation that captures the full anomalous evolution of flow rates and displacements observed in the detailed numerical simulations in terms of the permeability distribution and matrix length scales. The presented results shed new light on the controls of medium heterogeneity and geometry on pressure diffusion, fluid production and subsidence in highly heterogeneous fractured media.

Distinguishing between fractional Brownian motion with random and constant Hurst exponent using sample autocovariance-based statistics.

Fractional Brownian motion (FBM) is a canonical model for describing dynamics in various complex systems. It is characterized by the Hurst exponent, which is responsible for the correlation between FBM increments, its self-similarity property, and anomalous diffusion behavior. However, recent research indicates that the classical model may be insufficient in describing experimental observations when the anomalous diffusion exponent varies from trajectory to trajectory. As a result, modifications of the classical FBM have been considered in the literature, with a natural extension being the FBM with a random Hurst exponent. In this paper, we discuss the problem of distinguishing between two models: (i) FBM with the constant Hurst exponent and (ii) FBM with random Hurst exponent, by analyzing the probabilistic properties of statistics represented by the quadratic forms. These statistics have recently found application in Gaussian processes and have proven to serve as efficient tools for hypothesis testing. Here, we examine two statistics-the sample autocovariance function and the empirical anomaly measure-utilizing the correlation properties of the considered models. Based on these statistics, we introduce a testing procedure to differentiate between the two models. We present analytical and simulation results considering the two-point and beta distributions as exemplary distributions of the random Hurst exponent. Finally, to demonstrate the utility of the presented methodology, we analyze real-world datasets from the financial market and single particle tracking experiment in biological gels.