Turing instability under centrifugal forces

Abstract

Self-organized patterns are sensitive to microscopic external perturbations that modify the diffusion process. We find that Turing instability formed in a compartmented medium, a Belousov–Zhabotinski–aerosol-OT micelle reaction, responds sensitively to a change in the diffusion process. In order to modify the diffusion mechanism, we apply a centrifugal force that generates a perturbation with an anisotropic character. We find experimentally and numerically that the perturbation is able to modify the pattern and even force its disappearance. For different values of the perturbation significant changes can be seen in both the pattern wavelength and its morphology. Furthermore, for strong perturbations, the orientation of the patterns couples with the symmetry of the perturbation.