Mean action time for diffusive processes (Q5930746)

Summary: For a number of diffusive processes involving heat and mass transfer, a convenient and easy way to solve for penetration time or depth is to consider an averaged quantity called mean action time. It is possible to solve for mean action-time without actually solving the full diffusion problem, which may be nonlinear and may have internal moving boundaries. Mean action time satisfies a linear Poisson equation, and only works for finite problems. We review some properties of mean action time, and discuss some novel applications.