ICOT- we are getting to an interesting point- thanks to your wonderful knowledge and explanaitons.
indeed, it seems that those stoves work exactly as yo udescribe. BTW- tge gases MUST expand-even if a little-. If i remember my HS days- this is elementary in any gas,although it may very well be that the gas in the stove gets there because of the pressure.
Where idisagree with you is in number 3. You correctly describe that the gas flowing from the burner gets ignited by the pilot and the lit gas travels back to the burner to light the other gases emanating from the holes in the burner. What makes you think that the flame “retreats’ to the burner? You yourself seem to agree that there may be a low flame in the pipelet, so why would it stop burning?
When we turn down the gas- even shutting off the supply totally- it is a function of the FUEL ,not the flame, that is being curtailed. As a matter of fact, once one shuts totally the gas to the burner, the pilot light remains lit because it has its OWN supply of fuel (gas).
Basically, the stoves seem to me to be much more a function of rrducing fuel- not actually dousing the fire. “Kibui” means -gnerally- dousing or extinguishing a fire. I think that the discussion on gas stoves is mouch more akin to taking away oil from a lit lamp or taking away logs from a fire (see pashute yid)than to actually extinguishing fire.
I don’t remember the halocho of taking oil from a lit lamp- I am pretty sure it is fully ossur on shabbos, so we have to know how it is on yom tov.
The more i think about it the more I think this is the right approach. Love to hear all your comments.
MAZEL TOV TO PM !!! boy or girl?