Wave instabilities in an excitable electrochemical system

Abstract

Spatiotemporal pattern formation under potentiostatic control in the excitable potential range at the active/passive transition of cobalt in buffered phosphoric acid has been investigated in a ribbon electrode geometry. The propagation of an active area with modulation and wave splitting has been observed, depending on the parameters potential and time of passivation prior to excitation. The modulation and wave splitting are influenced both by the kinetics of repassivation on the electrode surface and by long-range coupling and positive feedback through the electric field. Modulation in the vicinity of the system boundary gives rise to an apparent reflection of the active area at the boundary.