Development of oscillations in closed systems

Abstract

Chemical reactions in thermodynamically closed systems (those with no exchange of mass with their surroundings) are capable of exhibiting oscillatory behaviour. The oscillations in such a closed system will be transient, and it is important to determine the period over which they may exist before the equilibrium state is reached. The induction time to the oscillatory period and its length can be affected by certain factors, such as the rate of reactant consumption, initial conditions of the system, and stirring effects. In this paper we study these problems both analytically and computationally through a simple autocatalytic chemical scheme. Two previous and seemingly contradictory analytical treatments will be discussed and reconciled.