Transition from spiral waves to defect-mediated turbulence induced by gradient effects in a reaction-diffusion system

Chunxia Zhang, Hong Zhang, Qi Ouyang*, Bambi Hu, Gemunu H. Gunaratne

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The transition from spiral waves to defect-mediated turbulence was studied in a spatial open reactor using Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. The experimental results show a new mechanism of the transition from spirals to spatiotemporal chaos, in which the gradient effects in the three-dimensional system are essential. The transition scenario consists of two stages: first, the effects of gradients in the third dimension cause a splitting of the spiral tip and a deletion of certain wave segments, generating new wave sources; second, the waves sent by the new wave sources undergo a backfire instability, and the back waves are laterally unstable. As a result, defects are automatically generated and fill all over the system. The result of numerical simulation using the FitzHugh-Nagumo model essentially agrees with the experimental observation.

Original languageEnglish
Article number036202
Number of pages7
JournalPhysical Review E
Volume68
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Sept 2003

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
  • Statistics and Probability
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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