Chemoconvection: A chemically driven hydrodynamic instability

We describe theory and experiments concerning a chemical reaction, the alka line oxidation of glucose with methylene blue as a catalyst, that is hypoth esized to drive fluid motion via an overturning instability, as an example of a "chemoconvective" process. A theoretical model is developed to explain this phenomenon and linear analyses from steady and pseudosteady states ar e used to predict the basic length and time scales of the patterns which in itially appear. These theoretical predictions, using kinetic parameters fro m recent independent experiments, are contrasted with results from pattern initiation experiments. Preliminary comparisons indicate good qualitative a nd quantitative agreement. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.