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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability
Published on: March 3, 2017
Amplification of magnetic field effects via critical dynamics in a nonlinear oscillatory system
Shaojun Zhang1, Zi-Shu Yang1, Bing-Wu Wang1
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 China zhangjunlong@pku.edu.cn zsyang04@pku.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Weak magnetic fields are known to modulate circadian rhythms in living systems, yet the chemical basis of their influence on oscillatory dynamics remains unresolved. This is a paradox given the negligible energies of the magnetic interactions (∼10-2 kJ mol-1 T-1) relative to thermal noise. Using the Briggs-Rauscher reaction as a model system, we show that applied magnetic fields (0-200 mT) induce an unprecedented amplification of oscillatory behavior via critical dynamics close to a Hopf bifurcation, driving 12% enhancement in reaction rate while 1500% enhancement in oscillation amplitudes of key intermediates (Mn2+ and I-). Simulations using the de Kepper-Epstein model for the inherent non-linearity of feedback-driven oscillations reveal that magnetic field effects perturb bifurcation thresholds, magnifying even subtle changes in spin-selective radical recombination rates. Our findings establish a mechanism for magnetic field modulation in oscillatory networks, resolving the energy paradox and positioning magnetic fields as a potent tool for manipulating non-equilibrium chemical and biological systems.
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