Pulse propagation and oscillatory behavior in the NO+H2 reaction on a Rh(110) surface

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Abstract
Target patterns, rotating spiral waves and solitary pulses have been found in the NO+H2 reaction under nonoscillatory conditions, i.e., when the system was an excitable medium. Using photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM) as spatially resolving method the parameter dependence of the front velocities, the width of the pulses and the rotational period of the spiral waves were studied for fixed pNO=1.8×10−6 mbar in a T‐ range 520–620 K. The front velocities were strongly anisotropic with the degree of anisotropy depending on the pH2, T parameters. Under reaction conditions close to the high pH2 boundary for pattern formation, gas‐phase coupling becomes efficient, thus, oscillations in the N2 production rate can be observed.