The Structure and Stability of Propagating Redox Fronts

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This paper analyzes certain models for the deposition of minerals. The models describe the transport, by flow and diffusion, of an aqueous oxidant in an aquifer where it reacts with an immobile reductant to produce certain deposits. We prove the existence and the uniqueness of travelling wave solutions of the equations. In certain limits, the system can be modelled by a problem of Stefan type with planar fronts. We show these solutions are marginally stable and are linearly stable to transverse perturbations.