EXPERIMENTAL-DETERMINATION OF GINZBURG-LANDAU PARAMETERS FOR REACTION-DIFFUSION SYSTEMS

We describe an experimental method to determine the parameters of the complex Ginzburg-Landau (CGL) equation for chemical reaction-diffusion systems, solely using measurements on homogeneous systems together wi th diffusion constants. The necessary eigenvectors and growth rate of oscillations from an unstable focus are obtained experimentally. The m ethod applies to systems of any number of reacting species and allows predictions of wave properties of real chemical systems. With more tha n two diffusing species the diffusion parameter may have a negative re al part thus requiring corrections to the CGL equation.