Spatial and temporal patterns in catalytic oscillations

The spatial and temporal evolutions of catalytic oscillations are modeled for two prototype systems, a Monte Carlo simulation of a unimolecular reaction and the thermal coupling of distributed oscillators. In the single oscillator problem attractive adsorbate-adsorbate interactions predict oscillations in the continuum mean field approach. Using the Monte Carlo method, the roles of metastability, gas pressure, surface diffusion and defects are examined and contrasted with the mean field model. In the multiple oscillators problem, the behavior of CO/NO reaction on supported Pd is simulated to examine the role of thermal coupling and the transition from synchrony to chaos through period doubling