@phdthesis{Sposini2020,
  author    = {Sposini, Vittoria},
  title     = {The random diffusivity approach for diffusion in heterogeneous systems},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-48780},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-487808},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {The two hallmark features of Brownian motion are the linear growth < x2(t)> = 2Ddt of the mean squared displacement (MSD) with diffusion coefficient D in d spatial dimensions, and the Gaussian distribution of displacements. With the increasing complexity of the studied systems deviations from these two central properties have been unveiled over the years. Recently, a large variety of systems have been reported in which the MSD exhibits the linear growth in time of Brownian (Fickian) transport, however, the distribution of displacements is pronouncedly non-Gaussian (Brownian yet non-Gaussian, BNG). A similar behaviour is also observed for viscoelastic-type motion where an anomalous trend of the MSD, i.e., <x2(t)> ~ ta, is combined with a priori unexpected non-Gaussian distributions (anomalous yet non-Gaussian, ANG). This kind of behaviour observed in BNG and ANG diffusions has been related to the presence of heterogeneities in the systems and a common approach has been established to address it, that is, the random diffusivity approach. This dissertation explores extensively the field of random diffusivity models. Starting from a chronological description of all the main approaches used as an attempt of describing BNG and ANG diffusion, different mathematical methodologies are defined for the resolution and study of these models. The processes that are reported in this work can be classified in three subcategories, i) randomly-scaled Gaussian processes, ii) superstatistical models and iii) diffusing diffusivity models, all belonging to the more general class of random diffusivity models. Eventually, the study focuses more on BNG diffusion, which is by now well-established and relatively well-understood. Nevertheless, many examples are discussed for the description of ANG diffusion, in order to highlight the possible scenarios which are known so far for the study of this class of processes. The second part of the dissertation deals with the statistical analysis of random diffusivity processes. A general description based on the concept of moment-generating function is initially provided to obtain standard statistical properties of the models. Then, the discussion moves to the study of the power spectral analysis and the first passage statistics for some particular random diffusivity models. A comparison between the results coming from the random diffusivity approach and the ones for standard Brownian motion is discussed. In this way, a deeper physical understanding of the systems described by random diffusivity models is also outlined. To conclude, a discussion based on the possible origins of the heterogeneity is sketched, with the main goal of inferring which kind of systems can actually be described by the random diffusivity approach.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SposiniGrebenkovMetzleretal.2020,
  author    = {Sposini, Vittoria and Grebenkov, Denis S. and Metzler, Ralf and Oshanin, Gleb and Seno, Flavio},
  title     = {Universal spectral features of different classes of random-diffusivity processes},
  series = {New Journal of Physics},
  volume    = {22},
  journal   = {New Journal of Physics},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Dt. Physikalische Ges.},
  address   = {Bad Honnef},
  issn      = {1367-2630},
  doi       = {10.1088/1367-2630/ab9200},
  pages     = {26},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Stochastic models based on random diffusivities, such as the diffusing-diffusivity approach, are popular concepts for the description of non-Gaussian diffusion in heterogeneous media. Studies of these models typically focus on the moments and the displacement probability density function. Here we develop the complementary power spectral description for a broad class of random-diffusivity processes. In our approach we cater for typical single particle tracking data in which a small number of trajectories with finite duration are garnered. Apart from the diffusing-diffusivity model we study a range of previously unconsidered random-diffusivity processes, for which we obtain exact forms of the probability density function. These new processes are different versions of jump processes as well as functionals of Brownian motion. The resulting behaviour subtly depends on the specific model details. Thus, the central part of the probability density function may be Gaussian or non-Gaussian, and the tails may assume Gaussian, exponential, log-normal, or even power-law forms. For all these models we derive analytically the moment-generating function for the single-trajectory power spectral density. We establish the generic 1/f²-scaling of the power spectral density as function of frequency in all cases. Moreover, we establish the probability density for the amplitudes of the random power spectral density of individual trajectories. The latter functions reflect the very specific properties of the different random-diffusivity models considered here. Our exact results are in excellent agreement with extensive numerical simulations.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{SposiniGrebenkovMetzleretal.2020,
  author    = {Sposini, Vittoria and Grebenkov, Denis S. and Metzler, Ralf and Oshanin, Gleb and Seno, Flavio},
  title     = {Universal spectral features of different classes of random-diffusivity processes},
  series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  journal   = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  number    = {999},
  issn      = {1866-8372},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-47696},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-476960},
  pages     = {27},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Stochastic models based on random diffusivities, such as the diffusing-diffusivity approach, are popular concepts for the description of non-Gaussian diffusion in heterogeneous media. Studies of these models typically focus on the moments and the displacement probability density function. Here we develop the complementary power spectral description for a broad class of random-diffusivity processes. In our approach we cater for typical single particle tracking data in which a small number of trajectories with finite duration are garnered. Apart from the diffusing-diffusivity model we study a range of previously unconsidered random-diffusivity processes, for which we obtain exact forms of the probability density function. These new processes are different versions of jump processes as well as functionals of Brownian motion. The resulting behaviour subtly depends on the specific model details. Thus, the central part of the probability density function may be Gaussian or non-Gaussian, and the tails may assume Gaussian, exponential, log-normal, or even power-law forms. For all these models we derive analytically the moment-generating function for the single-trajectory power spectral density. We establish the generic 1/f²-scaling of the power spectral density as function of frequency in all cases. Moreover, we establish the probability density for the amplitudes of the random power spectral density of individual trajectories. The latter functions reflect the very specific properties of the different random-diffusivity models considered here. Our exact results are in excellent agreement with extensive numerical simulations.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GrebenkovSposiniMetzleretal.2020,
  author    = {Grebenkov, Denis S. and Sposini, Vittoria and Metzler, Ralf and Oshanin, Gleb and Seno, Flavio},
  title     = {Exact distributions of the maximum and range of random diffusivity processes},
  series = {New Journal of Physics},
  volume    = {23},
  journal   = {New Journal of Physics},
  publisher = {Dt. Physikalische Ges.},
  address   = {Bad Honnef},
  issn      = {1367-2630},
  doi       = {10.1088/1367-2630/abd313},
  pages     = {23},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {We study the extremal properties of a stochastic process xt defined by the Langevin equation ẋₜ =√2Dₜ ξₜ, in which ξt is a Gaussian white noise with zero mean and Dₜ is a stochastic'diffusivity', defined as a functional of independent Brownian motion Bₜ.We focus on threechoices for the random diffusivity Dₜ: cut-off Brownian motion, Dₜt ∼ Θ(Bₜ), where Θ(x) is the Heaviside step function; geometric Brownian motion, Dₜ ∼ exp(-Bₜ); and a superdiffusive process based on squared Brownian motion, Dₜ ∼ B²ₜ. For these cases we derive exact expressions for the probability density functions of the maximal positive displacement and of the range of the process xₜ on the time interval ₜ ∈ (0, T).We discuss the asymptotic behaviours of the associated probability density functions, compare these against the behaviour of the corresponding properties of standard Brownian motion with constant diffusivity (Dₜ = D0) and also analyse the typical behaviour of the probability density functions which is observed for a majority of realisations of the stochastic diffusivity process.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{GrebenkovSposiniMetzleretal.2020,
  author    = {Grebenkov, Denis S. and Sposini, Vittoria and Metzler, Ralf and Oshanin, Gleb and Seno, Flavio},
  title     = {Exact distributions of the maximum and range of random diffusivity processes},
  series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  journal   = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  number    = {1142},
  issn      = {1866-8372},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-50397},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-503976},
  pages     = {24},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {We study the extremal properties of a stochastic process xt defined by the Langevin equation ẋₜ =√2Dₜ ξₜ, in which ξt is a Gaussian white noise with zero mean and Dₜ is a stochastic'diffusivity', defined as a functional of independent Brownian motion Bₜ.We focus on threechoices for the random diffusivity Dₜ: cut-off Brownian motion, Dₜt ∼ Θ(Bₜ), where Θ(x) is the Heaviside step function; geometric Brownian motion, Dₜ ∼ exp(-Bₜ); and a superdiffusive process based on squared Brownian motion, Dₜ ∼ B²ₜ. For these cases we derive exact expressions for the probability density functions of the maximal positive displacement and of the range of the process xₜ on the time interval ₜ ∈ (0, T).We discuss the asymptotic behaviours of the associated probability density functions, compare these against the behaviour of the corresponding properties of standard Brownian motion with constant diffusivity (Dₜ = D0) and also analyse the typical behaviour of the probability density functions which is observed for a majority of realisations of the stochastic diffusivity process.},
  language  = {en}
}