Competition between diffusion and fragmentation: an important evolutionary process of nature.
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.
Ferkinghoff-Borg
Jesper
J
Niels Bohr Institute, Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. borg@nbi.dk
Jensen
Mogens H
MH
Mathiesen
Joachim
J
Olesen
Poul
P
Sneppen
Kim
K
D003460:Crystallization; D007053:Ice; D008956:Models, Chemical; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
D007053:Ice; D011506:Proteins