Wave instability induced by nonlocal spatial coupling in a model of the light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

We study spatiotemporal patterns resulting from instabilities induced by nonlocal spatial coupling in the Oregonator model of the light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. In this system, nonlocal coupling can be externally imposed by means of an optical feedback loop which links the intensity of locally applied illumination with the activity in a certain vicinity of a particular point weighted by a given coupling function. This effect is included in the three-variable Oregonator model by an additional integral term in the photochemically induced bromide flow. A linear stability analysis of this modified Oregonator model predicts that wave and Turing instabilities of the homogeneous steady state can be induced for experimentally realistic parameter values. In particular, we find that a long-range inhibition in the optical feedback leads to a Turing instability, while a long-range activation induces wave patterns. Using a weakly nonlinear analysis, we derive amplitude equations for the wave instability which are valid close to the instability threshold. Therein, we find that the wave instability occurs supercritically or subcritically and that traveling waves are preferred over standing waves. The results of the theoretical analysis are in good agreement with numerical simulations of the model near the wave instability threshold. For larger distances from threshold, a secondary breathing instability is found for traveling waves.