title: Asymptotic properties of a reversible A+B<-->C (static) reaction-diffusion process with initially separated reactants
abstract: The asymptotic properties of the reaction front formed in a reversible reaction-diffusion process A+B<-->C (static) with initially separated reactants are investigated. The case of arbitrary nonzero values of the diffusion constants D(A) and D(B) and initial concentrations a(0) and b(0) of the reactants A and B is considered. The system is studied in the limit of t-->infinity and g-->0, where t and g are the time and the backward reaction rate constant, respectively. The dynamics of the reaction front is described as a crossover between the "irreversible" regime at times t<<g(-1) and the "reversible" regime at times t>>g(-1). The general properties of the crossover are studied with the help of an extended scaling approach formulated in this work. On the basis of the mean-field equations the analytical solutions in the reversible regime t>>g(-1) inside the reaction zone are discussed. It is shown that in the immobile reaction zone the reaction rate profile has two distinct maxima. This profile differs drastically from the usual single-maximum reaction rate profile inherent in the mobile reaction zone. The two-hump reaction zone profile is the result of the influence of C on the reaction rate in the reversible regime. Numerical computation of the mean-field kinetics equations supports the results of the asymptotic consideration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinder
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pelleg