Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T15:03:38.995Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Reaction waves and non-constant diffusivities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

S. D. Watt
Affiliation:
Ind. and App. Maths, Tamaki Campus, University of Auckland, Auckland, N.Z.
R. O. Weber
Affiliation:
Dept of Maths, University of NSW, Australia Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A reaction-diffusion equation with non-constant diffusivity,

ut = (D(x, t)ux)x + F(u),

is studied for D(x, t) a continuous function. The conditions under which the equation can be reduced to an equivalent constant diffusion equation are derived. Some exact forms for D(x, t) are given. For D(x, t) a stochastic function, an explicit finite difference method is used to numerically determine the effect of randomness in D(x, t) upon the speed of the reaction wave solution to Fisher's equation. The extension to two spatial dimensions is considered.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Australian Mathematical Society 1996

References

[1]Aronson, D. G. and Weinberger, H. F., “Multidimensional nonlinear diffusion arising in population genetics”, Adv. Math. 30 (1978) 3376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[2]Grindrod, P., Patterns and waves (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1991).Google Scholar
[3]Grishin, A. M., “Steady state propagation of the front of a high level forest fire”, Sov. Phys. Dokl. 28 (1984) 328330.Google Scholar
[4]Hill, J. M., Solution of differential equations by means of one-parameter groups, Research Notes in Mathematics 63 (Pitman, London, 1982).Google Scholar
[5]Raupach, M. R., “Similarity analysis of the interaction of bushfire plumes with ambient winds”, Math. Comp. Modelling 13 (1990) 113121.Google Scholar
[6]Tang, S., Qin, S. and Weber, R. O., “Numerical studies on 2 dimensional reaction diffusion equations”, J. Aust. Math. Soc. Ser. B 35 (1993) 223243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[7]Tuckwell, H. C., “An effect of random fluctuations at an equilibrium of a nonlinear reaction diffusion equation”, preprint ANU CSTR-008–92, 1992.Google Scholar
[8]Tyson, J. J. and Keener, J. P., “Singular perturbation theory of travelling waves in excitable media (a review)”, Physica D 32 (1988) 327361.Google Scholar
[9]Weber, R. O., “Toward a comprehensive wildfire spread model”, Int. J. Wildland Fire 1 (1991) 245248.Google Scholar