On the analysis of coordinate-dependent diffusion

Coordinate-dependent diffusion in solids, in which case the probability of presence of a vacancy, phi, and the probability of migration, gamma, depend on coordinate x is analyzed. The coordinate dependence of parameters phi and gamma is shown to cause the drift component of the diffusion flux. In the presence of this component, the direction of atomic motion may coincide (enhanced diffusion) or not coincide (retarded diffusion and up-diffusion) with the direction of the diffusion component. The criteria of enhanced diffusion, retarded diffusion, and up-diffusion are established. These criteria are specified by the behavior of function F(x) = phi(x)/gamma(x).