Continuum limit in random sequential adsorption

Abstract

We develop analytical estimates of the late-stage (long-time) asymptotic behavior of the coverage in the D-dimensional lattice models of irreversible deposition of hypercube-shaped particles. Our results elucidate the crossover from the exponential time dependence for the lattice case to the power-law behavior with a multiplicative logarithmic factor, in the continuum deposition. Numerical Monte Carlo results are reported for the two-dimensional (2D) deposition, both lattice and continuum. Combined with the exact 1D results, they are used to test the general theoretical expectations for the late-stage deposition kinetics. New accurate estimates of the jamming coverages in 2D rule out some earlier ``exact'' conjectures. Generally, a combination of lattice and continuum simulations, with asymptotic crossover analysis, allows for a deeper understanding of the deposition kinetics and derivation of improved numerical estimates.