Properties of the reaction front in a reversible A+B

Marangoni-driven nonlinear dynamics of bimolecular frontal systems: a general classification for equal diffusion coefficients

When bimolecular fronts form in solutions, their dynamics is likely to be affected by chemically driven convection such as buoyancy- and Marangoni-driven flows. It is known that front dynamics in the presence of buoyancy-driven convection can be predicted solely on the basis of the one-dimensional reaction-diffusion concentration profiles but that those predictions fail for Marangoni-driven convection. With a two-dimensional reaction-diffusion-Marangoni convection model, we analyze here convective effects on the time scalings of the front properties, together with the influence of reaction reversibility and of the ratio of initial reactants' concentrations on the front dynamics. The effect of buoyancy forces is here neglected by assuming the reactive system to be in zero-gravity condition and/or the solution density to be spatially homogenous. This article is part of the theme issue 'New trends in pattern formation and nonlinear dynamics of extended systems'.

Death of an A -particle island in the B -particle sea: propagation and evolution of the reaction front A+B<-->C

We present a systematic theory of propagation and evolution of the reaction front A+B<-->C in the reaction-diffusion system where an island of particles A is surrounded by the uniform sea of particles B . In the first part of the work we give a systematic analysis of the crossover from the irreversible to reversible regime of front propagation in terms of the quasistatic approximation (QSA) and derive the key condition for the island death in the quasiequilibrium front regime. We show that the same as in the case of pure annihilation A+B-->0 the QSA enables the description of the quasiequilibrium front propagation only to a critical point t{c} on approaching to which the QSA is violated. In the second part of the work under the assumption of a sufficiently large forward reaction constant k we derive the perturbative expansion in powers of 1k which gives the asymptotically exact description of the quasiequilibrium front evolution up to t-->infinity. We demonstrate that below some critical value of the reduced backward reaction constant g<g{c} there appear two turning points on the front trajectory, the first of which arises at the sharp localized front stage and is due to the finite number of island particles whereas the second is a consequence of radical transformation of the front structure at the passage through the critical point (delocalization of the front). We find a remarkable property of self-similarity of the passage through the critical point, we derive scaling laws for such passage and show that in the limit g-->0 these laws lead to a striking phenomenon of an abrupt delocalization of the front.

Reaction-diffusion fronts in systems with concentration-dependent diffusivities

We examine properties of a reaction front that forms in irreversible reaction-diffusion systems with concentration-dependent diffusivities. We study two different models of such systems and find that in the limit of a vanishingly small diffusivity of the reaction product, the reaction front dynamics enters a separate universality class, with the front width asymptotically tending to a constant value, and the reaction rate at the reaction front center diminishing with time t as t(-1/2). This behavior can be also observed in systems with nonvanishing (but small) diffusivity of the reaction product at intermediate times.

Reaction front in an A+B-->C reaction-subdiffusion process

We study the reaction front for the process A+B-->C in which the reagents move subdiffusively. Our theoretical description is based on a fractional reaction-subdiffusion equation in which both the motion and the reaction terms are affected by the subdiffusive character of the process. We design numerical simulations to check our theoretical results, describing the simulations in some detail because the rules necessarily differ in important respects from those used in diffusive processes. Comparisons between theory and simulations are on the whole favorable, with the most difficult quantities to capture being those that involve very small numbers of particles. In particular, we analyze the total number of product particles, the width of the depletion zone, the production profile of product and its width, as well as the reactant concentrations at the center of the reaction zone, all as a function of time. We also analyze the shape of the product profile as a function of time, in particular, its unusual behavior at the center of the reaction zone.

Competing reactions with initially separated components in the asymptotic time region

Two competing irreversible reactions with initially separated components and with essentially different reaction constants are theoretically studied in the asymptotic time region. The description of the two simultaneous reactions is reduced to the consideration of two reactions separated in space. It is shown that the reaction rate profile can have two maxima and their ratio is independent of time. The location and relative value of the maxima are functions of the reaction constants and initial concentrations.

Diffusion-controlled annihilation A+B-->0 with initially separated reactants: the death of an A particle island in the B particle sea

We consider the diffusion-controlled annihilation dynamics A+B-->0 with equal species diffusivities in the system where an island of particles A is surrounded by the uniform sea of particles B. We show that once the initial number of particles in the island is large enough, then at any system's dimensionality d the death of the majority of particles occurs in the universal scaling regime within which approximately 4/5 of the particles die at the island expansion stage and the remaining approximately 1/5 at the stage of its subsequent contraction. In the quasistatic approximation, the scaling of the reaction zone has been obtained for the cases of mean-field (d>or=d(c)) and fluctuation (d<d(c)) dynamics of the front.

Asymptotic expansion for reversible A+B<-->C reaction-diffusion process

We study long-time properties of reversible reaction-diffusion systems of type A+B<-->C by means of the perturbation expansion in powers of 1/t (inverse of time). For the case of equal diffusion coefficients we present exact formulas for the asymptotic forms of reactant concentrations and a complete, recursive expression for an arbitrary term of the expansions. Taking an appropriate limit we show that by studying reversible reactions one can obtain "singular" solutions typical of irreversible reactions.

Two reaction zones in a competing reactions system with initially separated components

The long-time properties of a system with initially separated components and two competing reactions, reversible A1+B<-->C1 and irreversible A2+B-->C2, are studied. It is assumed that the backward constant g(1) of the reversible reaction A1+B<-->C1 is small. The dynamics of the system is described by means of a crossover from an "irreversible" regime (for times t<<g(-1)(1)) to a "reversible" regime (for times t>>g(-1)(1)). It is shown that in contrast to the "irreversible" regime, where both reactions occur in one reaction zone, the "reversible" regime is characterized by two distinctive reaction zones. These are the A1+B<-->C1 reversible reaction zone and the A2+C1-->A1+C2 irreversible reaction zone. Numerical computations of the mean-field kinetic equations confirm these asymptotic results.

Gel-free experiments of reaction-diffusion front kinetics

We present a gel-free experimental system to study the kinetics of the reaction front in the A+B-->C reaction-diffusion system with initially-separated reactants. The experimental setup consists of a CCD camera monitoring the kinetics of the front formed in the reaction-diffusion process Cu(2+) + tetra [disodium ethyl bis(5-tetrazolylazo) acetate trihydrate] -->1:1 complex, in aqueous, gel-free solution, taking place inside a 150 microm gap between two flat microscope slides. The experimental results agree with the theoretical predictions for the time dependence of the front's width, height, and location, as well as the global reaction rate.

Behavior of the reaction front between initially segregated species in a two-stage reaction

The large-time asymptotic behavior of a two-stage reaction (A+B-->R, B+R-->S) with initially segregated reactants is described. The concentration of the reactants is found to be significantly less than the initial concentrations in a depletion zone of width proportional to t(1/2), where t is time; the reaction takes place in a thinner zone of width proportional to t(1/6). Similarity solutions for the chemical concentration profiles in the reaction zone are calculated, and are compared with numerical simulations of the full partial differential reaction-diffusion equations. The large-time asymptotic scalings reported here are the same as in the absence of the secondary reaction, but we find that the location of the reaction zone is significantly shifted due to the secondary reaction. The reaction zone may behave in an exotic fashion at large time, moving first one way, then reversing its direction.

Asymptotic properties of a reversible A+B<-->C (static) reaction-diffusion process with initially separated reactants

The asymptotic properties of the reaction front formed in a reversible reaction-diffusion process A+B<-->C (static) with initially separated reactants are investigated. The case of arbitrary nonzero values of the diffusion constants D(A) and D(B) and initial concentrations a(0) and b(0) of the reactants A and B is considered. The system is studied in the limit of t-->infinity and g-->0, where t and g are the time and the backward reaction rate constant, respectively. The dynamics of the reaction front is described as a crossover between the "irreversible" regime at times t<<g(-1) and the "reversible" regime at times t>>g(-1). The general properties of the crossover are studied with the help of an extended scaling approach formulated in this work. On the basis of the mean-field equations the analytical solutions in the reversible regime t>>g(-1) inside the reaction zone are discussed. It is shown that in the immobile reaction zone the reaction rate profile has two distinct maxima. This profile differs drastically from the usual single-maximum reaction rate profile inherent in the mobile reaction zone. The two-hump reaction zone profile is the result of the influence of C on the reaction rate in the reversible regime. Numerical computation of the mean-field kinetics equations supports the results of the asymptotic consideration.

Crossover from nonclassical to classical chemical kinetics in an initially separated A + B<-->C reaction-diffusion system with arbitrary diffusion constants

The asymptotic long-time properties of the reaction front formed in a reversible reaction-diffusion process A + B<-->C with initially separated reactants are investigated. The case of arbitrary nonzero values of the diffusion constants DA, DB, DC of the components A, B, C and the initial concentrations a0 and b0 of A and B is considered. The system is studied in the limit of g-->0, where g is the backward reaction rate constant. In accordance with previous work, the dynamics of the reaction front is described as a crossover between the "irreversible" regime at times t << g-1 and the "reversible" regime at times t >> g-1. It is shown that through this crossover the macroscopic properties of the reaction front, such as the global rate of C production, the motion of the reaction zone center, and the concentration profiles of the components outside the reaction front, are unchanged. The concentration profiles of the components inside the reaction zone are described by quasistatic equations. The results of the theoretical consideration are confirmed by computing the mean-field kinetics equations.

Properties of the crossover from nonclassical to classical chemical kinetics in a reversible A+B<-->C reaction diffusion process

We study the properties of the reaction front formed in a reversible reaction diffusion process A+B<-->C, with initially separated reactants. The case of the mobile C component is considered. In accordance with Chopard et al. [Phys. Rev. E 47, R40 (1993)] the dynamics of the front is described as a crossover between the "irreversible" regime at short times and the "reversible" regime at long times. A refined definition for the rate of C production is suggested, taking into account both the forward and the backward reaction rates. By this definition within the framework of the mean-field equations it is shown that the reversible regime is characterized by scaling of the local rate of C production as R(local) approximately t(-1) and by scaling of the global rate of C production as R(global) approximately t(-1/2). It is also established that in the considered special case of equal diffusion coefficients and equal initial concentrations, the macroscopic properties of the reaction front, such as the global rate of the C production R(global) and the concentration profiles of the components outside the front reaction, are unchanged through this crossover.

Reaction kinetics of diffusing particles injected into a reactive substrate

We analyze the kinetics of trapping (A+B-->B) and annihilation (A+B-->0) processes on a one-dimensional substrate with homogeneous distribution of immobile B particles while the A particles are supplied by a localized source. For the imperfect reaction case, we analyze both problems by means of a stochastic model and compare the results with numerical simulations. In addition, we present the exact analytical results of the stochastic model for the case of perfect trapping.