Non-monotonic resonance in a spatially forced Lengyel-Epstein model

We study resonant spatially periodic solutions of the Lengyel-Epstein model modified to describe the chlorine dioxide-iodine-malonic acid reaction under spatially periodic illumination. Using multiple-scale analysis and numerical simulations, we obtain the stability ranges of 2: 1 resonant solutions, i.e., solutions with wavenumbers that are exactly half of the forcing wavenumber. We show that the width of resonant wavenumber response is a non-monotonic function of the forcing strength, and diminishes to zero at sufficiently strong forcing. We further show that strong forcing may result in a pi/2 phase shift of the resonant solutions, and argue that the nonequilibrium Ising-Bloch front bifurcation can be reversed. We attribute these behaviors to an inherent property of forcing by periodic illumination, namely, the increase of the mean spatial illumination as the forcing amplitude is increased. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.