PATTERN-FORMATION IN AN INHOMOGENEOUS ENVIRONMENT

A major step in understanding pattern formation has been achieved by s tudying: idealized systems. However, in nature inhomogeneous systems a re much more abundant than their idealized homogeneous counterparts. H ere we report about experimental results on pattern formation in two i nhomogeneous systems, thermal convection in porous media and Taylor-vo rtex how between a rough and a smooth cylinder. Several aspects of het erogeneity effects in pattern formation are theoretically investigated for model equations and analytical descriptions are given for a few p henomena.