Reaction-limited cluster aggregation (RLCA)

In reaction-limited cluster aggregation, encounters occur frequently compared with successful attachment: an activation or interaction barrier gives a small sticking probability. Repeated unsuccessful approaches allow clusters to sample more relative configurations before bonding, commonly producing denser aggregates than diffusion-limited cluster aggregation. Typical three-dimensional isotropic irreversible cluster models give mass fractal dimension around $2.1$. This structural contrast does not require previously formed bonds to break and restructure; it can arise from unsuccessful encounters alone. ^[ref]