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Three-dimensional convection-driven fronts of the exothermic chlorite-tetrathionate reaction
Gábor Schuszter1, Gábor Pótári1, Dezső Horváth2
1Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged, Aradi Vértanúk tere 1., Szeged H-6720, Hungary.
Abstract:
Horizontally propagating autocatalytic reaction fronts in fluids are often accompanied by convective motion in the presence of gravity. We experimentally and numerically investigate the stable complex three-dimensional pattern arising in the exothermic chlorite-tetrathionate reaction as a result of the antagonistic thermal and solutal contribution to the density change. By particle image velocimetry measurements, we construct the flow field that stabilizes the front structure. The calculations applied for incompressible fluids using the empirical rate-law model reproduce the experimental observations with good agreement.
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