INFLUENCE OF SURFACE-TENSION CHANGES ON HYDRODYNAMIC FLOW-INDUCED BY TRAVELING CHEMICAL WAVES

Chemical waves in a thin layer of a Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction solu tion induce convective flow in the reaction medium. The mechanism of t his chemically driven convection is investigated with space-resolved v elocimetry, and simulated numerically solving modified Oregonator mode l equations and the Navier-Stokes equation. To decide whether the flow is driven by surface tension gradients or density gradients the resul ts of the simulations are compared with experimental data. Analysis of the vertical distribution of the horizontal flow velocity suggests th at in the mechanism of flow generation surface effects are dominant.