Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.105, No.2, 410-415, 2001
Effects of noise and coupling on the spatiotemporal dynamics in a linear array of coupled chemical reactors
The noisy dynamics of a nonlinear chemical reaction in a linear array of three identical continuous-flow stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) coupled via diffusion-like mass transfer is investigated numerically. All three subsystems are initially run in stable stationary states near a Hopf bifurcation point. Noise, coupling, and nonlinearity of the chemical reaction cooperate to organize spatiotemporal order of the coupled system when the first subsystem is subjected to external parametric noise. The signal-to-noise ratio of the response of each subsystem to the external noise goes through a maximum, indicating the occurrence of resonance. Synchronization phenomena are also observed when the coupling strength reaches a critical value. The applications of coupling strength in controlling resonance effect in the coupled system are discussed.