Time evolution of an irreversible catalytic recombination process

Abstract

The time evolution of the irreversible catalytic recombination process A+B to inert is studied both analytically and by computer simulation. A rate equation describing this process is derived. For situations where one of the species poisons the catalyst, the minority species, for low coverages, is found to decay exponentially. Computer simulation results confirm this exponential decay for low coverages. Near the poisoning transition, xA approximately=xB, the average relaxation time is found to diverge as zeta varies as (0.5-xA)-1 with zeta approximately=1.3. Here xA and xB are the compositions of A and B in the gas.