CHEMICAL WAVE REFRACTION PHENOMENA

Motivated by recent work of Steinbock, Toth, and Showalter [Science 26 7, 868 (1995)] examining chemical wave propagation within membrane lab yrinths soaked with Beluosov-Zhabotinsky reagent, we have investigated refraction phenomena using similar tools, with an eye to verify the g eneral applicability of Snell's law for such nonlinear waves, as well as to unearth the physiochemical origin of the drastically reduced tri gger wave velocities we find within quasi-two-dimensional porous media . Altered reaction-diffusion kinetics appear to play no role. Rather, our results indicate intramembrane wave-front curvature, induced perha ps by differential wetting properties, to be the mechanism responsible for these refraction effects.