FORMATION OF THERMAL PLUMES IN AN AUTOCATALYTIC EXOTHERMIC CHEMICAL-REACTION

The reaction of chlorite and thiourea is bistable and displays a later al instability that generates a traveling wave of sulfate, acid, and c hlorine dioxide. The wave was visualized by the addition of barium chl oride, which gave a white precipitate of barium sulfate. The wave prop agates with three distinct regions of varying precipitation intensitie s. One of the regions is made up of a complete convective roll that fo rms powerful thermal plumes which rise to the surface of the reactant solution. The plumes originate from a coupling of Marangoni convection with multicomponent convection.