Chemoconvection: A chemically induced hydrodynamic instability
Antonio J. Pons Rivero
Departament de Química Física, Universitat de Barcelona,
08028, Barcelona, Spain.
Department of Chemistry, H. C. Ørsted Institute,
University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
Preben Grå Sørensen
Department of Chemistry, H. C. Ørsted Institute,
University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
F. Sagués
Departament de Química Física, Universitat de Barcelona,
08028, Barcelona, Spain
M.A. Bees
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of
Surrey, Guilford, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
Abstract:
We describe theory and experiments concerning a chemical reaction, the
alkaline oxidation of glucose with methylene blue as a catalyst, that is
hypothesized to drive fluid motion via an overturning instability, as an
example of 'chemoconvective' process.
A theoretical model is developed to explain this phenomenon and linear
analyses from steady and pseudosteady states are used to predict the
basic length and times scales of the patterns which initially appear.
These theoretical predictions, using kinetic parameters from recent
independent experiments, are contrasted with the results from pattern
initiation experiments.
Preliminary comparisons indicate good qualitative and quantitative
agreement.