Abstract #3144

The Anomalous Diffusion Parameter &[alpha] Provides the Most Relevant Information of Structural Complexity in Heterogeneous Media

Marco Palombo¹,², Andrea Gabrielli³, Giancarlo Ruocco¹,⁴, Silvia Capuani¹,²

¹Physics Department, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; ²CNR IPCF UOS Roma, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; ³ISC-CNR, Rome, Italy; ⁴CNR IPCF UOS Roma, Sapienza University , Rome, Italy

The anomalous diffusion parameter &[alpha], which quantifies sub-diffusion processes was investigated as a function of the sphere-density &[phi]. We demonstrated, by using numerical simulation and experimental results that, unlike conventional tortuosity investigations based on long diffusion time behavior of D(t)/D0, &[alpha] quantifies the global structural complexity (disorder) of heterogeneous systems. Moreover, we showed that &[alpha] can be measured by using &[Delta]-varying PFG experiment which is faster than the diffusion time behavior of D(t)/D0 study. As a consequence we speculate that our approach could be used as a new tool to probe changes in microstructural properties in healthy and pathological tissues.