Mathematics faculty and graduate students are invited to attend the MS Defense of Leah Gibson.

Date:  Friday, June 24, 2022
Time:  10:00 a.m.
Location:       Weber 201

You may also attend via Zoom

To Join visit: https://zoom.us/j/97337429216?pwd=eURITW8zVkxoZHJUMGtxbjdGejF6UT09
Meeting ID: 973 3742 9216
Passcode: 297533

Advisor:  Dr. Patrick Shipman

Committee:  Dr. Emily King, Dr. Jeffrey Pierce

Title: Modeling Liesegang Pattern formation in the Counterdiffusion of Ammonia and Hydrogen Chloride

Abstract: Liesegang patterns form as a result of chemical reaction and diffusion. To this day, there is no agreed-upon single method of mathematically modeling Liesegang pattern formation. The goal is to explore a variety of models for Liesegang pattern formation specifically applied to the counterdiffusion of vapor-phase ammonia (NH3) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), whose product — solid ammonium chloride — forms these Liesegang patterns. The modeling here focuses on prenucleation models, where it is believed that Liesegang patterns form during the nucleation process. We develop multiple theoretical models for the nucleation and growth of HCl +NH3. We implement a new “kinetic” approach to modeling nucleation and growth that tracks particle sizes. Work still remains to numerically simulate some of the models and compare them to observational data to determine the best modeling approach to Liesegang pattern formation applied to the counterdiffusion of HCl and NH3.