Interaction of chemical patterns in coupled layers

Abstract

We investigate the interaction between reaction-diffusion systems coupled by diffusion. The photosensitive CDIMA (chorine dioxide-iodine-malonic acid) reaction allows us to study experimentally the mutual influence of two layers of Turing patterns coupled via a diffusive interaction. By illuminating each of the layers with different intensities of homogeneous external light, the chemical conditions in each layer can be shifted, allowing us to study the result of diffusive interaction between Turing patterns with different spatial configurations. Our experiments suggest a complex scenario for the interaction between different patterns, strongly dependent on the spatial characteristics of the interacting patterns. Numerical simulations are also reported in full agreement with experimental observations. © 2011 American Physical Society.