Using the ferroin- and the bathoferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction embedded in the sodium-bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) water-in-oil microemulsion, we observed different patterns occurring in two different solvents, hexane and octane. Turing patterns were found in both solvents with ferroin. They differ in their interaction with coexisting bulk oscillations, such that a new excitation front was formed around the evolving Turing patterns in hexane. However, in octane, the bulk oscillation merged with the evolving patterns, forming a new excitation front, which propagated into two directions: towards the existing patterns and away from them. For the bathoferroin-catalyzed BZ reaction, patterns like dash waves, jumping waves, and bubble waves were found in both solvents having different wavelengths. A curvature dependence of the splitting and merging of dashes was found.
The dynamic interaction of scroll waves in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction with a vertically orientated gradient of excitability is studied by optical tomography. This study focuses on scroll waves, whose filaments were oriented almost perpendicular to the gradient. Whereas scroll waves with filaments exactly perpendicular to the gradient remain unaffected, filaments with a component parallel to the gradient develop a twist. Scroll waves with U-shaped filaments exhibit twists starting from both of its ends, resulting in scroll waves whose filaments display a pair of twists of opposite handedness. These twists are separated by a nodal plane where the filament remains straight and untwisted. The experimental findings were reproduced by numerical simulations using the Oregonator model and a linear gradient of excitability almost perpendicular to the orientation of the filament.
Labyrinth-like Turing patterns are investigated under the influence of an electric field. The patterns form in the ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction embedded in the sodium-bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) water-in-oil microemulsion. For two different values of the droplet fraction above and below the percolation transition of the system, the electric field induced drift of the patterns is different. Above the percolation transition, a linear increase of the drift velocity with increasing electric field strength is found. However, below the percolation transition, this increase shows an exponential behavior. The patterns are also observed to reorient under high electrical field strength, such that they are arranged perpendicular with respect to the field lines.
Excitation waves are a prototype of self-organized dynamic patterns in non-equilibrium systems. They develop their own intrinsic dynamics resulting in traveling waves of various forms and shapes. Prominent examples are rotating spirals and scroll waves. Their behavior can be controlled by applying external electrical signals, upon which these propagating waves react. We apply such electric fields to the excitable Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. Remarkable effects include the change of wave speed, reversal of propagation direction, annihilation of counter-rotating spiral waves and reorientation of scroll wave filaments. Recently, we have investigated electric field effects in the BZ reaction dissolved in a sodium-bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) water-in-oil microemulsion. A drift of complex patterns following nonlinear rules can be observed. We discuss the assumption that this system can act as a model for long range communication between neurons.
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