Superdiffusion in a Model for Diffusion in a Molecularly Crowded Environment

TL;DR

This paper introduces a model for diffusion in crowded environments using a percolation network with barriers, revealing both sub- and super-diffusive behaviors at different timescales.

Contribution

It presents a novel model demonstrating how random barriers cause anomalous diffusion, including superdiffusion, in molecularly crowded environments.

Findings

Normal diffusion at long times

Anomalous diffusion at intermediate times

Observation of superdiffusion at high barrier concentrations

Abstract

We present a model for diffusion in a molecularly crowded environment. The model consists of random barriers in percolation network. Random walks in the presence of slowly moving barriers show normal diffusion for long times, but anomalous diffusion at intermediate times. The effective exponents for square distance versus time usually are below one at these intermediate times, but can be also larger than one for high barrier concentrations. Thus we observe sub- as well as super-diffusion in a crowded environment.