Structures of chaos in open reaction systems

Abstract

By numerically simulating the Bray-Liebhafsky (BL) reaction (the hydrogen peroxide decomposition in the presence of hydrogen and iodate ions) in a continuously fed well stirred tank reactor (CSTR), we find “structured” types of chaos emerging in regular order with respect to flow rate as the control parameter. These chaotic “structures” appear between each two successive periodic states, and have forms and evolution resembling to the neighboring periodic dynamics. More precisely, in the transition from period-doubling route to chaos to the arising periodic mixture of different mixed-mode oscillations, we are able to recognize and qualitatively and quantitatively distinguish the sequence of “period-doubling” chaos and chaos consisted of mixed-mode oscillations (the “mixed-mode structured” chaos), both appearing in regular order between succeeding periodic states. Additionally, between these types of chaos, the chaos without such recognizable “structures” (“unstructured” chaos) is also distinguished. Furthermore, all transitions between two successive periodic states are realized through bifurcation of chaotic states. This scenario is a universal feature throughout the whole mixed-mode region, as well as throughout other mixed-mode regions obtained under different initial conditions.