Population Dynamics In Disordered Media

Andrew Missel, Physics, UIUC

Populations undergoing the discrete processes A->2A, A->0, and 2A->0 can be described in the continuum limit by a reaction-diffusion equation. However, in the case where the rates at which these processes occur are position-dependent, simulations indicate that discreteness effects are important for describing the transport of these populations. We have just begun a field-theoretic treatment of this problem which we hope will provide predictions in agreement with the discrete simulations.