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Dynamic instability in tropospheric photochemistry: An excitability threshold
Author(s) -
Tinsley Mark R.,
Field Richard J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl013675
Subject(s) - instability , troposphere , nonlinear system , perturbation (astronomy) , steady state (chemistry) , physics , oscillation (cell signaling) , statistical physics , mechanics , atmospheric sciences , chemistry , quantum mechanics , biochemistry
Dynamic equations describing photoxidation of tropospheric chemical pollutants are nonlinear, containing complex feedback loops. Such nonlinearity is known to give rise to various dynamical instabilities including multiple steady states, oscillation, and even chaos. A related type of instability, excitability, is demonstrated here using a two‐variable (reduced from six) model of CH 4 photoxidation in which perturbation of a stable but excitable steady state beyond a threshold is dramatically amplified before the steady state is reapproached. Such switching/amplification responses may have important implications for atmospheric/climatic modeling. A phase‐plane analysis describes the origin of this excitability and suggests that it may be a relatively common phenomenon in environmental models.