Competition between diffusion and fragmentation: an important evolutionary process of nature

Phys Rev Lett. 2003 Dec 31;91(26 Pt 1):266103. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.266103. Epub 2003 Dec 23.

Abstract

We investigate systems of nature where the common physical processes diffusion and fragmentation compete. We derive a rate equation for the size distribution of fragments. The equation leads to a third order differential equation which we solve exactly in terms of Bessel functions. The stationary state is a universal Bessel distribution described by one parameter, which fits perfectly experimental data from two very different systems of nature, namely, the distribution of ice-crystal sizes from the Greenland ice sheet and the length distribution of alpha helices in proteins.

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization
  • Ice*
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Proteins / chemistry*

Substances

  • Ice
  • Proteins