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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Water: a medium where dissipative structures are produced by a coherent dynamics
Nadia Marchettini1, Emilio Del Giudice, Vladimir Voeikov
1Department of Chemistry, University of Siena, via della Diana 2a, Siena, Italy. marchettini@unisi.it
The Belousov-Zhabotinsky phenomenon is explained by Quantum Electrodynamics in liquid water, suggesting a new mechanism for self-produced oscillations in dissipative systems.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Kinetics
- Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics
- Quantum Electrodynamics
Background:
- The Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction is a classic example of oscillating chemical reactions and dissipative structures.
- Prigogine's theory describes the behavior of systems far from thermodynamic equilibrium.
- Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) governs the interaction of light and matter at a quantum level.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the Belousov-Zhabotinsky phenomenon within a novel theoretical framework.
- To explore the role of Quantum Electrodynamics in the dynamics of dissipative structures.
- To propose a mechanism for the emergence of self-produced oscillations.
Main Methods:
- Implementing Prigogine's dissipative structure dynamics through QED-based collective dynamics in liquid water.
- Theoretical analysis of the proposed mechanism.
Main Results:
- A theoretical framework is established connecting QED with the Belousov-Zhabotinsky phenomenon.
- Experimental support for the QED-based approach has recently emerged.
- A potential mechanism for self-produced oscillations in this context is suggested.
Conclusions:
- Quantum Electrodynamics offers a viable framework for understanding complex chemical dynamics like the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction.
- The proposed mechanism provides new insights into the origin of self-organized oscillations in dissipative systems.
- Further experimental validation of the QED-based model is warranted.
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