Alberto P. Muñuzuri

SPATIOTEMPORAL STRUCTURES IN DISCRETELY-COUPLED ARRAYS OF NONLINEAR CIRCUITS: A REVIEW

Spatiotemporal pattern formation occurring in discretely-coupled nonlinear dynamical systems has been studied numerically. Reaction-diffusion systems can be viewed as an assembly of a large number of identical local subsystems which are coupled to each other by diffusion. Here, the local subsystems are defined by a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. While for continuous systems, the characteristic time scale corresponding to the diffusion is slower than that corresponding to the local subsystems, in discretely-coupled systems, both time scales can be of the same order of magnitude. Discrete systems can exhibit behaviors different from those exhibited by their equivalent continuous model: the wave propagation failure phenomenon occurring in nerve-pulse propagation due to transmission blockage is a case in point. In this case, it is found that the wave fails to propagate at or below some critical value of the coupling coefficient. Systems of coupled cells can be found to occur in the trans...

Dynamics of Turing patterns under spatiotemporal forcing

We study, both theoretically and experimentally, the dynamical response of Turing patterns to a spatiotemporal forcing in the form of a traveling-wave modulation of a control parameter. We show that from strictly spatial resonance, it is possible to induce new, generic dynamical behaviors, including temporally modulated traveling waves and localized traveling solitonlike solutions. The latter make contact with the soliton solutions of Coullet [Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 724 (1986)]] and generalize them. The stability diagram for the different propagating modes in the Lengyel-Epstein model is determined numerically. Direct observations of the predicted solutions in experiments carried out with light modulations in the photosensitive chlorine dioxide-iodine-malonic acid reaction are also reported.

Vulnerability in excitable Belousov-Zhabotinsky medium: from 1D to 2D

Abstract Mechanisms for initiating rotating waves in 1D and 2D excitable media were compared and parameters affecting wavefront formation were analyzed. The time delay between two sequentially initiated wavefronts (a conditioning wave followed by a test wave) was varied in order to induce rotating waves, a protocol similar to that utilized in cardiac muscle experiments to reveal vulnerability to rotating wave initiation. We define the vulnerability region, VR, as the range of time delays between conditioning and test waves where the test waves evolves into a rotating wave. The smaller the VR, the more resistant the heart is against origination of dangerous cardiac arrhythmias. Heterogeneity of cardiac muscle is widely recognized as the prerequisite for rotating wave initiation. We have identified the VR in homogeneous 2D excitable media. In the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction with immobilized catalyst and in the Oregonator model of this reaction, a properly timed test wave gives rise to rotating waves. The VR was increased when the size of the perturbation used for test wave creation was increased or when the threshold for propagation was decreased. Increasing the dimensionality of the medium for 1D to 2D results in diminishing of VR.

Spiral breakup induced by an electric current in a Belousov-Zhabotinsky medium.

Sprial breakup in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction has been observed under the influence of an externally applied alternating electric current. The dynamic mechanism of this breakup is explained in the framework of this reaction. The dependence of the critical electric current amplitude on the period of the wave and on the excitability of the medium is analyzed. Spiral breakup is shown to provide a limit of validity of electric-field-induced drift of vortices in excitable media. Experimental results are complemented with numerical simulations provided by two- and three-variable Oregonator models.

CHAOTIC SYNCHRONIZATION OF A ONE-DIMENSIONAL ARRAY OF NONLINEAR ACTIVE SYSTEMS

Linear stability analysis is used to study the synchronization of N coupled chaotic dynamical systems. It is found that the role of the coupling is always to stabilize the system, and then synchronize it. Computer simulations and experimental results of an array of Chuas circuits are carried out. Arrays of identical and slightly different oscillators are considered. In the first case, the oscillators synchronize and sync-phase, i.e., each one repeats exactly the same behavior as the rest of them. When the oscillators are not identical, they can also synchronize but not in phase with each other. The last situation is shown to form structures in the phase space of the dynamical variables. Due to the inevitable component tolerances (±5%), our experiments have so far confirmed our theoretical predictions only for an array of slightly different oscillators.

NONLINEAR WAVES, PATTERNS AND SPATIO-TEMPORAL CHAOS IN CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS

Spatio-temporal pattern formation occurring in discretely coupled nonlinear dynamical systems has been studied numerically. In this paper, we review the possibilities of using arrays of discretely coupled nonlinear electronic circuits to study these systems. Spiral wave initiation and Turing pattern formation are some of the examples. Sidewall forcing of Turing patterns is shown to be capable of driving the system into a perfect spatial organization, namely, a rhombic pattern, where no defects occur. The dynamics of the two layers supporting Turing and Hopf modes, respectively, is analysed as a function of the coupling strength between them. The competition between these two modes is shown to increase with the diffusion between layers. As well, the coexistence of low- and high-dimensional spatio-temporal chaos is shown to occur in one-dimensional arrays.

Sidewall forcing of hexagonal Turing patterns: rhombic patterns

Abstract Rhombic arrays were obtained by sidewall forcing during Turing pattern formation in numerical simulations. Locking between the frequency of forcing and the wave length between blobs was obtained in accordance with the Farey sequence. This locking appears as a perfect rhombic array oriented in the direction of the imposed forcing. For a constant forcing in duration and amplitude, the following scheme of bifurcation was observed: parallel stripes ↦ rhombic array ↦ domains of hexagons and rhombi separated by “penta-hepta” defects. Symmetry considerations based on a non-uniform stretching along the x-axis were used to describe these transitions. Unstable “varicose-vein” stripes were observed to evolve during the temporal evolution arrays.

Long-lasting dashed waves in a reactive microemulsion

In the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction carried out in a reverse microemulsion with Aerosol OT as surfactant, the existence of two different sizes of droplets containing the BZ reactants leads to the emergence of segmented (dashed) waves. This bimodal distribution of sizes is stabilized by adding small amounts of the homopolymer poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Addition of PEO lengthens the period during which these patterns are observed, so that dashed waves can persist for 12-14 h, in contrast to the 2-3 h found in earlier studies without added polymer.

Path planning based on reaction-diffusion process

In this paper, we present a novel path planning algorithm based on properties that reaction-diffusion (RD) models exhibit by the underlying non-linear dynamics of the considered system. In particular herein considered a two-variable RD model provides advantages of natural parallelism, noise resistance, and especially the non-annihilating feature that traveling fronts separating two stable states exhibit upon a collision. Based on this, we developed a path planning algorithm that provides paths with lengths competitive to standard path planning approaches. Moreover, the results presented indicates the paths are smoother and also within a safe distance from obstacles; thus, the found paths combine advantages of two fundamental approaches, namely the DT algorithm and Voronoi diagram.

Self-Organized Traveling Chemo-Hydrodynamic Fingers Triggered by a Chemical Oscillator

Pulsatile chemo-hydrodynamic patterns due to a coupling between an oscillating chemical reaction and buoyancy-driven hydrodynamic flows can develop when two solutions of separate reactants of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction are put in contact in the gravity field and conditions for chemical oscillations are met in the contact zone. In regular oscillatory conditions, localized periodic changes in the concentration of intermediate species induce pulsatile density gradients, which, in turn, generate traveling convective fingers breaking the transverse symmetry. These patterns are the self-organized result of a genuine coupling between chemical and hydrodynamic modes.