Adsorption effects in light-induced drift

Abstract

We describe the effect of light-induced drift, while allowing for adsorption of the active atoms on the wall of the cell. Assuming a rapid rate of adsorption and desorption, we express this effect by a modification of the diffusion equation for the volume density in the boundary layer near the wall. Explicit solutions are discussed in opposite special cases, corresponding to a large or a small mean free path of the active atoms.