Oscillatory instability in a reaction front separating fluids of different densities

Reaction fronts described by the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky (KS) equation can exhibit complex behavior as they separate reacted from unreacted fluids. If the fluid of higher density is above a fluid of lower density, then the Rayleigh-Taylor instability can lead to fluid motion. In the reverse situation, where the lighter fluid is on top, gravitationally driven forces can stabilize a convectionless flat front inhibiting the complex front propagation described by the KS equation. In these cases, a critical density difference is required to provide stability to the flat front. A linear stability analysis shows that the transition from stable to unstable flat fronts can be oscillatory for viscous fluid motion. Once the transition takes place, the fronts exhibit oscillatory convection resulting in oscillations of the shape and speed of the front.