Deterministic chaos in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction: Experiments and simulations

An account of the experimental discovery of complex dynamical behavior in the continuous-flow, stirred tank reactor (CSTR) Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, as well as numerical simulations based on the BZ chemistry are given. The most recent four- and three-variable models that are deduced from the well-accepted, updated chemical mechanism of the BZ reaction and which exhibit robust chaotic states are summarized. Chaos has been observed in experiments and simulations embedded in the regions of complexities at both low and high flow rates. The deterministic nature of the observed aperiodicities at low flow rates is unequivocally established. However, controversy still remains in the interpretation of certain aperiodicities observed at high flow rates.