COLLECTIVE PROPERTIES OF ADSORPTION-DESORPTION PROCESSES

A reversible adsorption-desorption parking process in one dimension is studied. An exact solution for the equilibrium properties is obtained. The coverage near saturation depends logarithmically on the ratio between the adsorption rate; k(+), and the desorption rate, k(-), rho(eq)congruent to 1-1/log(k(+)/k(-)), when k(+)/k(-)>>1. A time dependent version of the reversible problem with immediate adsorption (k(+)=infinity) is also considered. Both heuristic arguments and numerical simulations reveal a logarithmically slow approach to the completely covered state, 1-rho(t)similar to 1/log(t).