Random Sequential Adsorption and Percolation Dynamics
Summary
Random sequential adsorption (RSA) is an irreversible process in which particles or extended objects are deposited one by one onto a substrate or lattice without overlap, proceeding until no further placement is possible. This kinetic pathway leads to a non‐equilibrium jamming state in which the coverage fraction approaches a finite limit. Percolation dynamics in RSA examine how connectivity emerges within the evolving deposit, with particular focus on the critical coverage, or percolation threshold, at which a spanning cluster forms. Studies combine Monte Carlo simulations, scaling analyses and analytical approaches to characterise adsorption kinetics, cluster morphology and critical exponents, revealing universal behaviour across diverse particle shapes and interaction rules. The interplay between jamming and percolation yields insights of global significance for applications in coatings, porous media, sensor design and the formulation of complex fluids.
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Recent studies of binary disk mixtures have demonstrated that competitive RSA can produce core–shell structures and conductive bridges between large particles, significantly lowering the percolation threshold and altering electrical conductivity. Variations in size ratio and flux notably affect jamming coverage and connectivity pathways. A new theoretical analysis of a one‐dimensional parking process has extended classical results by constructing a stationary random field at the thermodynamic limit and proving central limit theorems, laws of the iterated logarithm and concentration inequalities for the occupation density at jamming. Investigations into cooperative sequential adsorption of monomers under repulsive interactions reveal that tuning a power‐law deposition parameter drives the formation of checkerboard domains and compact clusters; this leads to non‐monotonic percolation characteristics and coverage maxima near critical interaction strengths.
Random Sequential Adsorption and Percolation Dynamics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in random sequential adsorption and percolation dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Random Sequential Adsorption (RSA): A protocol of irreversible particle deposition without overlap, leading to a non‐equilibrium jamming state.
Percolation Threshold: The critical coverage fraction at which a continuous cluster spans the system, enabling long‐range connectivity.
Jamming Limit: The maximal packing fraction reached in RSA beyond which no additional particles can be adsorbed.
Universality Class: A category of critical phenomena that share the same set of scaling exponents, independent of microscopic details.
References
- Percolation connectivity in deposits obtained usingcompetitive random sequential adsorption of binarydisk mixtures. Condensed Matter Physics (2024).
- Fluctuations of the Occupation Density for a Parking Process. Journal of Statistical Physics (2024).
- Cooperative sequential adsorption of monomers on a square lattice in the presence of repulsive interactions between near neighbors. Physical Review E (2024).
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