Probability of the Emergence of Helical Precipitation Patterns in the Wake of Reaction-Diffusion Fronts

Shibi Thomas, István Lagzi, Ferenc Molnár, Jr., and Zoltán Rácz
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 078303 – Published 13 February 2013
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Abstract

Helical and helicoidal precipitation patterns emerging in the wake of reaction-diffusion fronts are studied. In our experiments, these chiral structures arise with well-defined probabilities PH controlled by conditions such as, e.g., the initial concentration of the reagents. We develop a model which describes the observed experimental trends. The results suggest that PH is determined by a delicate interplay among the time and length scales related to the front and to the unstable precipitation modes and, furthermore, that the noise amplitude also plays a quantifiable role.

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  • Received 11 September 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.078303

© 2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Shibi Thomas1,*, István Lagzi2,†, Ferenc Molnár, Jr.3,‡, and Zoltán Rácz4,§

  • 1Department of Theoretical Physics, Eötvös University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
  • 2Department of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
  • 3Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, 12180 New York, USA
  • 4Institute for Theoretical Physics—HAS, Eötvös University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary

  • *Present address: Department of Physics, University of Calicut, 673635 Kerala, India. shibithomas969@gmail.com
  • istvanlagzi@gmail.com
  • molnaf@rpi.edu
  • §racz@general.elte.hu

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Issue

Vol. 110, Iss. 7 — 15 February 2013

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