title: Time-delayed reaction-diffusion fronts.
abstract: A time-delayed second-order approximation for the front speed in reaction-dispersion systems was obtained by Fort and Méndez [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 867 (1999)]. Here we show that taking proper care of the effect of the time delay on the reactive process yields a different evolution equation and, therefore, an alternate equation for the front speed. We apply the new equation to the Neolithic transition. For this application the new equation yields speeds about 10% slower than the previous one.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Física, Universitat de Girona, 17071 Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Neus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Isern
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fort
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D004058:Diffusion; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013997:Time Factors