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.

Synchronization in flickering of three-coupled candle flames

“…If the wicks of the candles involved in the bundle are close enough to each other, then the adjacent flames merge and the resulting large flame will oscillate in the luminous intensity and geometric size with ca. 10 Hz123. Once getting started, the oscillation becomes self-sustained; for example, even when you breathe on the flame and stop the oscillation transiently, the oscillation restarts after the perturbation is removed.…”

“…A further interesting phenomenon associated with candle flame flickering is the spontaneous synchronisation observed in pairs134 and arrays3 of oscillating candle flames. It was found in ref.…”

“…It was found in ref. 1 that a pair of oscillating candle flames shows two distinct classes of synchronisation modes, depending on the distance between the two flames. When the distance is small enough, they exhibit in-phase synchronisation, in which both flames oscillate identically with no phase difference.…”

Synchronization of Two Coupled Crystal Oscillators

“…Theoretical studies of synchronization of the limit cycle and chaotic oscillators have been carried out for many years [1]. From the experimental side, synchronization phenomena are observed in various oscillators, e.g., Stirling engines [2], metronomes [3] and candles [4]. Synchronization phenomena rely on the assumption that the oscillators are coupled with each other.…”

Synchronized motion of the water surfaces around two fixed camphor disks

“…The synchronization of electrochemical oscillations on electrode arrays has also been investigated [7][8][9]. In other systems, the coupling of salt-water oscillators [10,11] and candle oscillators [12] has been reported.…”