Synchronization of spatiotemporal patterns and modeling disease spreading using excitable media

Studies of the photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction are reviewed and the essential features of excitable media are described. The synchronization of two distributed Belousov-Zhabotinsky systems is experimentally and theoretically investigated. Symmetric local coupling of the systems is made possible with the use of a video camera-projector scheme. The spatial disorder of the coupled systems, with random initial configurations of spirals, gradually decreases until a final state is attained, which corresponds to a synchronized state with a single spiral in each system. The experimental observations are compared with numerical simulations of two identical Oregonator models with symmetric local coupling, and a systematic study reveals generalized synchronization of spiral waves. Modeling studies on disease spreading have been reviewed. The excitable medium of the photosensitive BZ reaction is used to model disease spreading, with static networks, dynamic networks, and a domain model. The spatiotemporal dynamics of disease spreading in these complex networks with diffusive and non-diffusive connections is characterized. The experimental and numerical studies reveal that disease spreading in these model systems is highly dependent on the non-diffusive connections