Abstract
As a motto for this introduction to the chapter on surface diffusion, I have chosen the very last sentence of Einstein’s famous and incisive paper [1] in which he relates the coefficient of diffusion to the (root mean square) displacement of a particle and the time elapsed between the initial and the final observation. Even he, Albert Einstein, asks for experimental confirmation of his deductions. Since the three contributions here are experimental observations and measurements, it seems that Einstein’s hope is being fulfilled.
Möge es bald einem Forscher gelingen, die hier aufgeworfene für die Theorie der Wärme wichtige Frage zu entscheiden! (A. Einstein)
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Literature
A. Einstein: Ann. Phys. 17, 549 (1905)
C. A. Roulet: Surf. Sci. 36, 295 (1973)
P. Wynblatt: Phys. Stat. Sol. 36, 797 (1969)
S. Chandrasekhar: Rev. Mod. Phys. 15, 1 (1943)
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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Zeitler, E. (1988). Diffusion at Surfaces: Introductory Remarks. In: Grunze, M., Weimer, J.J., Kreuzer, H.J. (eds) Diffusion at Interfaces: Microscopic Concepts. Springer Series in Surface Sciences, vol 12. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73632-2_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73632-2_8
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