Self-Organization of Topological Defects due to Applied Constraints

Jonathan H. McCoy, Will Brunner, Werner Pesch, and Eberhard Bodenschatz
Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 254102 – Published 19 December 2008
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

While topological defects are essential to our understanding of self-organizing periodic systems, little is known about how these systems respond when their defects are subjected to geometrical constraints. In an experiment on spatially modulated thermal convection patterns, we observe that applied geometrical constraints bind topological defects into robust self-localized structures that evolve through aggregation, annihilation, and self-replication. We demonstrate that this unexpected cooperative response to the modulation is a natural consequence of three generic elements: phase locking, symmetry breaking, and spatial resonance. Our work provides new insights into the interplay between order, chaos, and control in self-organizing systems.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 8 May 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.254102

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jonathan H. McCoy1,*, Will Brunner2, Werner Pesch3, and Eberhard Bodenschatz4,1,†

  • 1Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
  • 2inXitu, inc., Mountain View, California 94043, USA
  • 3Department of Physics, University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
  • 4Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany

  • *jhm28@cornell.edu
  • eberhard.bodenschatz@ds.mpg.de

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 101, Iss. 25 — 19 December 2008

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×