Computational study of helix wave formation in active media

¹ Nanotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, AIST Central 5-2, Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan.

² The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O.Box 218, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.

³ The National College of technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Tokiwadai 2-14-1, Ube 755-8555, Japan.

⁴ Graduate School of Environmental and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan.

⁵ Institut fûr Experimentelle Physik, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdenburg Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany.

⁶ Graduate School of Pure and Applied Science, University of Tsukuba 1-1-1, Tennoudau, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan.

Abstract Computer simulations of excitation wave formation in a three-dimensional Belousov-Zhabotinsky medium is presented. The model system is an elongated domain with immobilised catalyst connected to an ideal reservoir of reactants. It is shown that transient spatial inhomogeneities in reactant diffusion coupled with oscillatory reaction kinetics gives rise to helix waves. Good agreement with prior experimental observations is obtained and these simulations provide proof of the formation of helicoidal dissipative structures under macroscopically unperturbed conditions. PDF helix.pdf Sample animation helix.mov