Oscillation and synchronization in the combustion of candles

Hiroyuki Kitahata; Junji Taguchi; Masaharu Nagayama; Tatsunari Sakurai; Yumihiko Ikura; Atsushi Osa; Yutaka Sumino; Masanobu Tanaka; Etsuro Yokoyama; Hidetoshi Miike

doi:10.1021/jp901487e

Oscillation and synchronization in the combustion of candles

Hiroyuki Kitahata, Junji Taguchi, Masaharu Nagayama, Tatsunari Sakurai, Yumihiko Ikura, Atsushi Osa, Yutaka Sumino, Masanobu Tanaka, Etsuro Yokoyama, Hidetoshi Miike

Department of Applied Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

58 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We investigate a simple experimental system using candles; stable combustion is seen when a single candle burns, while oscillatory combustion is seen when three candles burn together. If we consider a set of three candles as a component oscillator, two oscillators, that is, two sets of three candles, can couple with each other, resulting in both in-phase and antiphase synchronization depending on the distance between the two sets. The mathematical model indicates that the oscillatory combustion in a set of three candles is induced by a lack of oxygen around the burning point. Furthermore, we suggest that thermal radiation may be an essential factor of the synchronization.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	8164-8168
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of Physical Chemistry A
Volume	113
Issue number	29
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/jp901487e
Publication status	Published - 23 Jul 2009

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title = "Oscillation and synchronization in the combustion of candles",

abstract = "We investigate a simple experimental system using candles; stable combustion is seen when a single candle burns, while oscillatory combustion is seen when three candles burn together. If we consider a set of three candles as a component oscillator, two oscillators, that is, two sets of three candles, can couple with each other, resulting in both in-phase and antiphase synchronization depending on the distance between the two sets. The mathematical model indicates that the oscillatory combustion in a set of three candles is induced by a lack of oxygen around the burning point. Furthermore, we suggest that thermal radiation may be an essential factor of the synchronization.",

author = "Hiroyuki Kitahata and Junji Taguchi and Masaharu Nagayama and Tatsunari Sakurai and Yumihiko Ikura and Atsushi Osa and Yutaka Sumino and Masanobu Tanaka and Etsuro Yokoyama and Hidetoshi Miike",

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AU - Kitahata, Hiroyuki

AU - Taguchi, Junji

AU - Nagayama, Masaharu

AU - Sakurai, Tatsunari

AU - Ikura, Yumihiko

AU - Osa, Atsushi

AU - Sumino, Yutaka

AU - Tanaka, Masanobu

AU - Yokoyama, Etsuro

AU - Miike, Hidetoshi

PY - 2009/7/23

Y1 - 2009/7/23

N2 - We investigate a simple experimental system using candles; stable combustion is seen when a single candle burns, while oscillatory combustion is seen when three candles burn together. If we consider a set of three candles as a component oscillator, two oscillators, that is, two sets of three candles, can couple with each other, resulting in both in-phase and antiphase synchronization depending on the distance between the two sets. The mathematical model indicates that the oscillatory combustion in a set of three candles is induced by a lack of oxygen around the burning point. Furthermore, we suggest that thermal radiation may be an essential factor of the synchronization.

AB - We investigate a simple experimental system using candles; stable combustion is seen when a single candle burns, while oscillatory combustion is seen when three candles burn together. If we consider a set of three candles as a component oscillator, two oscillators, that is, two sets of three candles, can couple with each other, resulting in both in-phase and antiphase synchronization depending on the distance between the two sets. The mathematical model indicates that the oscillatory combustion in a set of three candles is induced by a lack of oxygen around the burning point. Furthermore, we suggest that thermal radiation may be an essential factor of the synchronization.

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Oscillation and synchronization in the combustion of candles

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