Experimental Studies on Long-Wavelength Instability and Spiral Breakup in a Reaction-Diffusion System

Lu Qun Zhou and Qi Ouyang
Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 1650 – Published 21 August 2000
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Abstract

We investigate the behavior of spiral waves in a quasi-two-dimensional spatial open reactor using Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. The goal of this study is to answer two questions raised recently: Can a system sustain a stable long-wavelength modulated spiral? What causes the transition from spiral to defect-mediated turbulence? Our experimental results show that in a certain range of control parameters, a sustained long-wavelength modulated spiral is stable. The amplitude and the wavelength of modulations increase with the control parameter. As the latter is increased to across a threshold, defects are generated far away from the spiral center as a result of the neighboring two wave fronts being too close.

  • Received 6 December 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.1650

©2000 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Lu Qun Zhou and Qi Ouyang*

  • Department of Physics, Mesoscopic Physics Laboratory, Peking University, Beijing 100871, Peoples Republic of China

  • *Electronic address: qi@mail.phy.pku.edu.cn

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Vol. 85, Iss. 8 — 21 August 2000

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