BIFURCATION OF VORTICES IN THE LIGHT-SENSITIVE OSCILLATORY BELOUSOV-ZHABOTINSKY MEDIUM

Experiments were carried out to study the effect of local disturbances on the vortex dynamics in the light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky (B Z) reaction. It was found that irradiation with visible light of the c ore region of a rotating spiral wave (vortex) in an oscillatory medium results in a bifurcation which dramatically changes the shape of the vortex. The bifurcation is seen as an unfolding increase in the vortex wavelength although only a negligible change in the vortex core size is observed. Similar dynamics is expected to occur in oscillatory medi a of different nature.