Hirofumi Izuhara

A link between microscopic and macroscopic models of self-organized aggregation

In some species, one of the roles of pheromones is to influence aggregation behavior. We first propose a macroscopic cross-diffusion model for the self-organized aggregation of German cockroaches that includes directed movement due to an aggregation pheromone. We then propose a microscopic particle model which is set into context with the macroscopic model. Our goal is to link the macroscopic and microscopic descriptions by using the singular and the hydrodynamic limit procedures. A hybrid model related to the macroscopic and microscopic models is also proposed as a cockroach aggregation model. This hybrid model assumes that each individual responds to pheromone concentration and moves by two-mode simple symmetric random walks. It shows that even though the movement of individuals is not directed, two-mode simple symmetric random walks and effect of the pheromone result in self-organized aggregation.

Traveling Waves in a Reaction-Diffusion System Describing Smoldering Combustion

Combustion is a fast oxidation process and exhibits diverse behaviors according to experimental conditions. When there is no natural convection of air, such as in experiments aboard a space shuttle or in a vertically confined system, an unexpected finger-like smoldering combustion develops. In this paper, a reaction-diffusion-advection system that describes smoldering combustion is studied from the viewpoint of computer-aided analysis. In particular, we focus on the traveling wave solutions of the system, which represent the characteristic propagation of combustion. It is revealed that the existence or nonexistence of stable traveling wave solutions determines whether or not a combustion front propagates in a self-sustained way in one space dimension. In two space dimensions, we numerically suggest the existence of a traveling spot solution in which the flow rate is too low to support planar traveling wave solutions. Moreover, we discuss reflection phenomena of a combustion wave when it reaches the bounda...

Turing instability in reaction–diffusion models on complex networks

In this paper, the Turing instability in reaction–diffusion models defined on complex networks is studied. Here, we focus on three types of models which generate complex networks, i.e. the Erdős–Renyi, the Watts–Strogatz, and the threshold network models. From analysis of the Laplacian matrices of graphs generated by these models, we numerically reveal that stable and unstable regions of a homogeneous steady state on the parameter space of two diffusion coefficients completely differ, depending on the network architecture. In addition, we theoretically discuss the stable and unstable regions in the cases of regular enhanced ring lattices which include regular circles, and networks generated by the threshold network model when the number of vertices is large enough.

Diffusion-driven destabilization of spatially homogeneous limit cycles in reaction-diffusion systems

We study the diffusion-driven destabilization of a spatially homogeneous limit cycle with large amplitude in a reaction-diffusion system on an interval of finite size under the periodic boundary condition. Numerical bifurcation analysis and simulations show that the spatially homogeneous limit cycle becomes unstable and changes to a stable spatially nonhomogeneous limit cycle for appropriate diffusion coefficients. This is analogous to the diffusion-driven destabilization (Turing instability) of a spatially homogeneous equilibrium. Our approach is based on a reaction-diffusion system with mass conservation and its perturbed system considered as an infinite dimensional slow-fast system (relaxation oscillator).

Travelling wave solutions of a parabolic-hyperbolic system for contact inhibition of cell-growth

We consider a cell growth model involving a nonlinear system of partial differential equations which describes the growth of two types of cell populations with contact inhibition. Numerical experiments show that there is a parameter regime where, for a large class of initial data, the large time behaviour of the solutions is described by a segregated travelling wave solution with positive wave speed c. Here, the word segregated expresses the fact that the different types of cells are spatially segregated, and that the single densities are discontinuous at the moving interface which separates the two populations. In this paper, we show that, for each wave speed c > c, there exists an overlapping travelling wave solution, whose profile is continuous and no longer segregated. We also show that, for a large class of initial functions, the overlapping travelling wave solutions cannot represent the large time profile of the solutions of the system of partial differential equations. The structure of the travelling wave solutions strongly resembles that of the scalar Fisher-KPP equation, for which the special role played by the travelling wave solution with minimal speed has been extensively studied.

On a nonlocal system for vegetation in drylands

Several mathematical models are proposed to understand spatial patchy vegetation patterns arising in drylands. In this paper, we consider the system with nonlocal dispersal of plants (through a redistribution kernel for seeds) proposed by Pueyo et al. (Oikos 117:1522–1532, 2008) as a model for vegetation in water-limited ecosystems. It consists in two reaction diffusion equations for surface water and soil water, combined with an integro-differential equation for plants. For this system, under suitable assumptions, we prove well-posedness using the Schauder fixed point theorem. In addition, we consider the stationary problem from the viewpoint of vegetated pattern formation, and show a transition of vegetation patterns when parameter values (rainfall, seed dispersal range, seed germination rate) in the system vary. The influence of the shape of the redistribution kernel is also discussed.