3. Diffusion of an Instantaneous, Point Release

This section follows on from Section 1, exploring the Gaussian concentration profile that develops after an instantaneous, point release. Several important properties of the Gaussian distribution (and their utility) are emphasized. The spread of a point release in all 3 dimensions is discussed, noting that the profile of concentration along any straight line cut through the patch will have a Gaussian distribution. The animation shows the spread of an instantaneous, point release with anisotropic diffusivity, highlighting the dependence of length scales of the Gaussian distribution on the square root of D.

 

 Theory

Animation of anisotropic diffusion of a point release

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