Emergence of collective behavior in groups of excitable catalyst-loaded particles: Spatiotemporal dynamical quorum sensing

Tinsley, M.R., Taylor, A.F., Huang, Z. and Showalter, K. (2009) Emergence of collective behavior in groups of excitable catalyst-loaded particles: Spatiotemporal dynamical quorum sensing. Physical Review Letters, 102, [158301]. (doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.158301).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Spontaneous spatiotemporal wave activity occurs in groups of excitable particles for groups larger than a critical size. Experiments are carried out with particles loaded with the catalyst of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction that are immersed in catalyst-free reaction mixture. The particles diffusively exchange activator and inhibitor species with the surrounding solution. All particles are nonoscillatory when separated from the other particles; however, target and spiral waves are exhibited in sufficiently large groups. A cellular particle model of the system also exhibits transitions from excitable steady state behavior to spatiotemporal wave activity with increasing group size.

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