Speaker
Ralf Metzler
(University of Potsdam)
Description
In 1905 Einstein formulated the laws of diffusion, and in 1908
Perrin published his Nobel-prize winning studies determining Avogadro's
number from diffusion measurements. With similar, more refined techniques
the diffusion behaviour in complex systems such as the motion of tracer
particles in living biological cells is nowadays measured with high precision.
Often the diffusion turns out to deviate from Einstein's laws. This talk will
discuss the basic mechanisms leading to anomalous diffusion as well as point
out the physical consequences. In particular the unconventional behaviour of
non-ergodic, ageing systems will be discussed within the framework of
different stochastic processes. Concrete examples include granular gases,
biological cells, lipid membranes, and interacting many particle systems.
Primary author
Ralf Metzler
(University of Potsdam)
