Accelerating chemical waves accompanied by traveling hydrodynamic motion and surface deformation

Abstract

A chemical trigger wave is initiated which propagates with accelerating speed in a thin liquid layer of the oscillatory Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. The localized phase gradient of the oscillation and induction of a hydrodynamic motion traveling with the chemical wave are possible causes for the acceleration. Evidence for pronounced hydrodynamic flow is supplied by digital processing of images visualizing flow patterns under the microscope. Surface deformations due to the hydrodynamic motion are analyzed by Mach-Zehnder interferometry.