Long time tails in stationary random media. I. Theory

Abstract

Diffusion of moving particles in stationary disordered media is studied using a phenomenological mode-coupling theory. The presence of disorder leads to a generalized diffusion equation, with memory kernels having power law long time tails. The velocity autocorrelation function is found to decay like t–(d/2+1), while the time correlation function associated with the super-Burnett coefficient decays liket –d/2 for long times. The theory is applicable to a wide variety of dynamical and stochastic systems including the Lorentz gas and hopping models. We find new, general expressions for the coefficients of the long time tails which agree with previous results for exactly solvable hopping models and with the low-density results obtained for the Lorentz gas. Finally we mention that if the moving particles are charged, then the long time tails imply that there is an w d/2 contribution to the low-frequency part of the frequency-dependent electrical conductivity.