Assessing corrections to the Fick-Jacobs equation

We utilize macrotransport theory to compute the effective diffusion coefficient of a point-sized particle in a periodic channel of slowly varying cross-section to the second order in the long-wavelength limit. This asymptotic result serves as a benchmark test for the respective modifications of the Fick- Jacobs equation proposed by Zwanzig [J. Phys. Chem. 96, 3926 (1992)], Reguera and Rubi [Phys. Rev. E 64, 061106 (2001)], and Kalinay and Percus [Phys. Rev. E 74, 041203 (2006)]. While all three modifications result in an identical effective diffusivity at first order, only the model proposed by Kalinay and Percus agrees at second order with our asymptotic result.