Smoothening of a random surface as it results from the edwards-wilkinson kinetic equation

The time evolution of a random surfacez=h(r, t) (r=x, y) formed by a deposition process of the Edwards-Wilkinson type is discussed. The discussion is based on the author’s former derivation of the autocorrelation functionA _h(|r − r′|,t, t′)=〈h(r,t)h(r′,t′)〉 of the height functionh(r,t) under the assumption of a stochastic initial condition V. Bezák: Acta Physica Univ. Comenianae39 (1998) 135]. Under the assumption of a steady (non-zero) deposition rate, the varianceσ _h ² (t)=〈h(r,t)]²〉 increases logarithmically in time whilst the correlation lengthl _h(t) of the height functionh(r,t) increases as ∼t ^1/2. Therefore, the ratioσ _h(t)/l _h (t) tends to zero and the surfacez=h(r,t) does always tend towards a smoothened appearance. This work has been supported by the Slovak Grant Agency VEGA under contract No. 1/4319/97.