Circular-interface selected wave patterns in the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation

¹ Department of Physics, Hangzhou Normal University - Hangzhou 310036, China
² Zhejiang Institute of Modern Physics and Department of Physics, Zhejiang University - Hangzhou 310027, China

^a bwelllee@zju.edu.cn
^b hongzhang@zju.edu.cn

Received: 11 June 2010
Accepted: 20 July 2010

Abstract

The selection of wave patterns in the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation in the presence of a circular interface was investigated. Depending on the initial conditions, the circular interface could select different wave patterns: concentric and spiral waves. Unlike the previously found targets or spirals, we found that the source of these interface selected waves is located at the circular interface instead of the center such as the “pacemaker" or spiral core; the coexistence of the opposite phase velocities in the same wave pattern is observed. What is more, the frequencies (or wave numbers) are identical in two domains with totally different control parameters, and it looks as if the interface selected waves propagate in a homogeneous medium without experiencing any difference across the interface. For the interface selected spiral pattern, we argue that its formation was attributed to the wave competition and topological constraints.