2012/12/03 by V. Ruiz Barlett, M. Hoyuelos, H. O. Mártin
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies #cond-mat.stat-mech #physics.comp-ph #stochastic dynamics and bifurcation
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.jcp.2012.12.029
arxiv created 2012/12/03 · openalex publication_date 2013/01/10 · arxiv updated 2015/06/12 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Monte Carlo simulation is one of the most important tools in the study of diffusion processes. For constant diffusion coefficients, an appropriate Gaussian distribution of particle's steplengths can generate exact results, when compared with integration of the diffusion equation. It is important to notice that the same method is completely erroneous when applied to non-homogeneous diffusion coefficients. A simple alternative, jumping at fixed steplegths with appropriate transition probabilities, produces correct results. Here, a model for diffusion of calcium ions in the neuromuscular junction of the crayfish is used as a test to compare Monte Carlo simulation with fixed and Gaussian steplegth.