LAUSR

ABSTRACT The double diffusion model was proposed in the late 1970s and extended in 1980s and 1990s by Aifantis and co-workers. It is a continuum model that assumes two local non-equilibrium concentration fields abiding separate mass–momentum equations mediated by a linear mass exchange term. The present work deals with stochastic double diffusion of two competing phase densities to study transport in nanocrystals. We show that the presence of surface inhomogeneities and temporal delay, represented by stochastic dynamics, could have substantial impact at the interface of the two phases. The effect is most pronounced at a critical point (stochastic resonance), where maximum energy transfer occurs, thereby quantifying the impact of surface imperfections in nanocrystal dynamics. The results have been favourably compared with experimental data. This is part of a thematic issue on Small Scale Mechanics - EUROMAT.