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Even though the field of nonequilibrium thermodynamics has been popular and its importance has been suggested by Demirel and Sandler [J. Phys. Chem. B 108, 31 (2004)], there are only a few investigations of reaction-diffusion systems from the aspect of thermodynamics. A possible reason is that model equations are complicated and difficult to analyze because the corresponding chemical reactions need to be reversible for thermodynamical calculations. Here, we introduce a simple model for calculation of entropy production rate: a three-variable reversible Gray–Scott model. The rate of entropy production in self-replicating pattern formation is calculated, and the results are compared with those reported based on the Brusselator model in the context of biological cell division. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we discuss the relationships between thermodynamic quantities and the spatial pattern in a reaction-diffusion model based on the reversible Gray-Scott model. This model is introduced for calculation of the entropy production in a reaction-diffusion system. First, we show the relationship between entropy production and pattern formation, and suggest that the entropy production could be an index of different patterns. Then the entropy production is applied for searching the parameter region where the pattern is bistable. Moreover, the entropy change is calculated by using the relative chemical potential that is defined based on the equilibrium state and not on the standard chemical potential. The results of the entropy change are consistent with the intrinsic property of the entropy, therefore, the entropy change calculated in this way may be regarded as an appropriate quantity for the discussion of the thermodynamic properties in a non equilibrium system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A practical way to calculate the entropy change in the distributed media composed of reversible Gray–Scott model is demonstrated. The entropy change is given as the sum of the entropy production and the divergence of entropy flow. The divergence of entropy is calculated based on the chemical potential of steady state. It becomes evident that: (i) the entropy change for the emergence of dissipative structures in the open system can be positive or negative, (ii) most of the entropy produced inside the system is thrown out to the environment when dissipative structures are developing, (iii) the entropy production and the divergence of entropy flow balance completely, when the system shows static steady states, (iv) the entropy change behaves as if it is the time derivative of the entropy production. Prior to these calculations of entropy balance, the features of emergent patterns in the two-dimensional system are examined in terms of entropy production solely. The results imply that the entropy production can be an index for us to discriminate spatial patterns, but is not a global thermodynamic potential for the evolution of dissipative structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article examines the contributions of reaction and diffusion to entropy production in a two-dimensional reversible Gray-Scott system. The author calculated the entropy production in the time evolution process toward a Turing-like pattern and a chaotic pattern in a two-dimensional reaction-diffusion system, and evaluated the contributions of reaction and diffusion to entropy production. A brief discussion of the relation between the pattern formation process and thermodynamics is presented by the author.