COMPOUND ROTATION OF SPIRAL WAVES IN A LIGHT-SENSITIVE BELOUSOV-ZHABOTINSKY MEDIUM

We carried out an experimental investigation of spiral wave dynamics in a light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky system and observed a great variety of spiral tip behavior while changing the excitability of the active medium via variation of the intensity of applied illumination. To prevent convection, the catalyst, a light-sensitive ruthenium complex, was fixed in a silicahydrogel matrix. We found nearly rigid rotation at low intensity which transforms into various meander regimes of tip motion and again into rigid rotation at sufficiently high values of the intensity. The experimental results allow interpretation in terms of numerical simulation data recently presented by Jahnke and Winfree.