RESTRUCTURING EFFECTS IN IRREVERSIBLE DEPOSITION OF SPHERES ON A PLANE

We present an irreversible-deposition model which encompasses as speci al cases both random sequential adsorption (RSA) and simple ballistic deposition (BD). In this deposition process, hard spheres are added se quentially to a plane along vertical straight-line trajectories initia ted at random positions. Multilayer formation is prevented. The sphere s can adsorb on the plane either by direct deposition or by following the path of steepest descent on previously deposited particles. The ra tio of the rates of the two mechanisms is characterized by a parameter which is equal to 0 for RSA and 1 for simple BD. Using liquid-state m ethods, we obtain a third-order density expansion for the pair-density function and for the rate of deposition. We consider also the kinetic s of the process and we show, by computer simulation and theoretical a rguments, that the system reaches its saturation state exponentially. Finally, we discuss several interpolation formulas that incorporate th e exact small- and large-time behavior.