Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of convection in the 1,4-cyclohexanedione-bromate-acid reaction

The manifestation and development of convection during pattern formation in the 1,4-cyclohexanedione-acid-bromate reaction was investigated using pulsed gradient spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance (PGSE NMR) experiments. An apparatus was devised that enabled convection to be probed inside an NMR spectrometer and prevented hydrodynamic motion arising from extraneous sources, such as poor mixing or temperature gradients imposed by the experimental setup. PGSE experiments were performed concurrently with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experiments to show that convection arose spontaneously from inhomogeneities associated with the chemical patterns. Quantitative data on diffusion coefficients and hydrodynamic velocities are reported.