On the nonequilibrium effects in thermally activated reactions A+A reversible arrow B+B reversible arrow C+C

We study the nonequilibrium effects in an adiabatic system with thermally a ctivated reactions A + A reversible arrow B + B reversible arrow C + C. The results of a simple phenomenological theory which assumes that temperature s of reagents may be different from the temperature of the system as a whol e are compared with results of molecular dynamics simulations. We show that the nonequilibrium effects caused by one reaction may be magnified as well as reduced by the presence of the other processes. Good agreement between theory and simulations has been obtained. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.