Observation of Laser Speckle Effects in an Elementary Chemical Reaction

Abstract

AbstractAn experimental demonstration is shown for non-classical reaction kinetics in a homogeneous system with an elementary reaction, A+B→C. Sensitivity to the initial distribution of reactants is observed, along with a new reaction-kinetics regime which is a direct consequence of speckles in the laser beam. The long-time regime gives the first experimental demonstration of the asymptotic self-segregation (“Zeldovich”) effect, in spite of the non-random, speckled initial distribution of reactant B. Monte-Carlo simulation results are consistent with the experiments, and spatial analysis of these results correlates the excess of long-wavelength components in the initial reactant distribution with an anomalous slowing of the reaction progress.