REACTION-DIFFUSION TRAVELING WAVES IN THE ACIDIC NITRATE-FERROIN REACTION

A two-variable model proposed for the acidic nitrate-ferroin reaction is considered in the reaction-diffusion context. An initial-value prob lem in which an amount of nitrate is introduced locally into ferroin a t uniform concentration is treated both analytically and numerically. It is shown that the large time structure is a reaction-diffusion trav elling wave of permanent form propagating with constant speed. This as ymptotic wave speed is shown to be the minimum possible wave speed and the asymptotic approach to this value is estimated. Properties of the permanent-form travelling waves are derived and solutions valid for s mall and large values of a parameter beta, involved in the kinetic mec hanism, are obtained.