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    Area of Science:

    • Fluid dynamics
    • Chemical kinetics
    • Surface science

    Background:

    • Marangoni flow arises from surface tension gradients, crucial in systems with interfaces.
    • Reaction fronts in liquid-air interfaces create dynamic contact lines with unique flow behaviors.
    • Microgravity experiments isolate surface-driven phenomena from buoyancy effects.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • Investigate Marangoni flow effects on a dynamic contact line during a chemical reaction.
    • Quantify the influence of surface tension gradients on fluid flow at the reaction front.
    • Validate a geometric spreading model for reaction-diffusion-advection systems.

    Main Methods:

    • Microgravity experiments to observe fluid flow dynamics.
    • Utilizing the iodate-arsenous acid reaction to generate a self-sustained front.
    • 3D modeling of the reaction-diffusion-advection system to reconstruct experimental observations.

    Main Results:

    • Marangoni flow is localized to the contact line with a penetration depth of 1-2 mm.
    • Fluid flow is primarily aligned with concentration gradients, following the reaction front.
    • No significant enhancement of bulk mixing observed with increased fluid height.
    • The reactive interface propagates at a reaction-diffusion-limited velocity.

    Conclusions:

    • Marangoni flow is a localized phenomenon at the dynamic contact line, driven by surface-active product generation.
    • The observed fluid dynamics are accurately predicted by a geometric spreading model.
    • Fluid flow predominantly follows the reaction front, with minimal transverse mixing in the bulk.
    • Buoyancy effects are successfully excluded in microgravity, isolating surface-driven flow.