  In studies of island nucleation and growth, the distribution of capture
zones, essentially proximity cells, can give more insight than island-size
distributions. In contrast to the complicated expressions, ad hoc or derived
from rate equations, usually used, we find the capture-zone distribution can be
described by a simple expression generalizing the Wigner surmise from random
matrix theory that accounts for the distribution of spacings in a host of
fluctuation phenomena. Furthermore, its single adjustable parameter can be
simply related to the critical nucleus of growth models and the substrate
dimensionality. We compare with extensive published kinetic Monte Carlo data
and limited experimental data. A phenomenological theory sheds light on the
result.
