Travelling Waves of Fast Cryo-chemical Transformations in Solids (Non-Arrhenius Chemistry of the Cold Universe)

¹ Institute of Problems in Chemical Physics, 142432 Chernogolovka, Russia
² Institute of Mechanical Engineering Problems, 199178 Saint Petersburg, Russia
³ Department of Mathematics, University of Nice, 06560, Valbonne, France
⁴ Institute of Mathematics, UMR 5208 CNRS, University Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France

Corresponding author: barelko@icp.ac.ru

Abstract

Propagation of chemical waves at very low temperatures, observed experimentally [V.V. Barelko et al., Advances in Chem. Phys. 74 (1988), 339-384.] at velocities of order  10 cm/s, is due to a very non- standard physical mechanism. The energy liberated by the chemical reaction induces destruction of the material, thereby facilitating the reaction, a process very different from standard combustion. In this work we present recent experimental results and develop a new mathematical model which takes into account mechanical and chemical processes. We carry out numerical simulations and suggest a simplified model in order to obtain an explicit expression for the wave speed. This modelling allows us to give a possible explanation of the existence of two modes of propagation observed experimentally and of the dependence of the speed of propagation on the radiation dose.