AVERAGE WALK LENGTH IN ONE-DIMENSIONAL LATTICE SYSTEMS

Abstract

We consider the problem of a random walker on a one-dimensional lattice (N sites) confronting a centrally-located deep trap (trapping probability, T=1) and N-1 adjacent sites at each of which there is a nonzero probability s (0<s<1) of the walker being trapped. Exact analytic expressions for <n> and the average number of steps required for trapping for arbitrary s are obtained for two types of finite boundary conditions (confining and reflecting) and for the infinite periodic chain. For the latter case of boundary condition, Montroll's exact result is recovered when s is set to zero.