Diffusion-driven front instabilities in the chlorite–tetrathionate reaction

Abstract

An extensive study on the instabilities of planar fronts leading to the formation of cellular structures has been carried out in the acid-catalyzed chlorite–tetrathionate reaction. A simple two-variable model based on the empirical rate law of the reaction is developed to describe the observed pattern formation. The calculated onset of instability and the size of the patterns in the cellular fronts are in good agreement with experimental observations.