Chaotic behavior of an autocatalytic reaction with mutation

A conceptual model of an autocatalytic reaction in a continuous stirred tank reactor in which the autocatalyst undergoes mutation has been examined. The model consists of a simple set of three ordinary differential equations with seven design parameters. It is shown that self-sustained chaotic behavior can occur in this system. The regions of chaos are entered and exited according to period-doubling cascades or through a process involving intermittency. Lyapunov exponents are calculated to confirm the chaotic behavior.