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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability
Published on: March 3, 2017
Stabilization of unstable rigid rotation of spiral waves in excitable media
J Schlesner1, V Zykov, H Engel
1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstrasse 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
Depending on the parameters of two-dimensional excitable or oscillatory media rigidly rotating or meandering spiral waves are observed. The transition from rigid rotation to meandering motion occurs via a supercritical Hopf bifurcation. To stabilize rigid rotation in a parameter range beyond the Hopf bifurcation, we propose and successfully apply a proportional control algorithm as well as time delay autosynchronization. Both control methods are noninvasive. This allows for determination of the parameters of unstable rigid rotation of spiral waves either for a model or an experimental system. Using the Oregonator model for the light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction as a representative example we show that quite naturally some latency time appears in the control loop, and propose an efficient method to overcome its destabilizing influence.
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