Fluctuation-induced transitions in a bistable surface reaction: Catalytic CO oxidation on a Pt field emitter tip

Fluctuations which arise in catalytic CO oxidation on a Pt field emitter ti p have been studied with field electron microscopy as the imaging method. F luctuation-driven transitions between the active and the inactive branch of the reaction are found to occur sufficiently close to the bifurcation poin t, terminating the bistable range. The experimental results are modeled wit h Monte Carlo simulations of a lattice-gas reaction model incorporating rap id CO diffusion.