EPL, 84 (2008) 34002
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/84/34002

Spiral breakup and consequent patterns induced by strong polarized advective field

Jiang-Xing Chen^{1, 2} and Bambi Hu<sup>2, 3

1</sup>   Department of Physics, Hangzhou Dianzi University - Hangzhou 310018, China
²   Department of Physics, Centre for Nonlinear Studies, and The Beijing-Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Centre for Nonlinear and Complex Systems (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Baptist University - Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
³   Department of Physics, University of Houston - Houston, TX 77204-5005, USA

jxchen@hdu.edu.cn

received 23 July 2008; accepted in final form 25 September 2008; published November 2008
published online 30 October 2008

Abstract
Breakup of spiral wave and consequent patterns induced by a strong polarized advective field are studied numerically. The dependences of the critical amplitude of the polarized advective field on its polarized modes and the frequency of the spiral wave are obtained. The effects of the circularly polarized advective field (CPAF, one of the polarized modes) are investigated especially. Under the modulation of a suitable CPAF, a new spiral may be reorganized after breakup, with rotating direction determined by the applied external CPAF. Moreover, hexagonal patterns are observed when the frequency of the CPAF is equal to that of the spiral and the amplitude is suitable. Our finding shows that the symmetry and chirality of the applied external field are important to the organization and selection of new-formed patterns.

PACS
47.54.-r - Pattern selection; pattern formation.

© EPLA 2008