https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050500
Pattern formation in an inhomogeneous environment
1
Institut für Festkörperforschung
and FORUM Modellierung, Forschungszentrum
Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
2
Max–Planck–Institute for Physics of Complex Systems,
01187 Dresden, Germany
3
Department of Physics and Center for Nonlinear Science
and Complex Systems Duke University, Durham NC, 27708-0305, USA
Corresponding author: a w.zimmermann@kfa-juelich.de
Received:
24
February
1998
Revised:
19
May
1998
Accepted:
23
June
1998
Published online: 15 October 1998
A major step in understanding pattern formation has been achieved by studying idealized systems. However, in nature inhomogeneous systems are much more abundant than their idealized homogeneous counterparts. Here we report about experimental results on pattern formation in two inhomogeneous systems, thermal convection in porous media and Taylor-vortex flow between a rough and a smooth cylinder. Several aspects of heterogeneity effects in pattern formation are theoretically investigated for model equations and analytical descriptions are given for a few phenomena.
PACS: 47.20.-k – Hydrodynamic stability / 47.54.+r – Pattern selection; pattern formation / 71.55.-i – Impurity and defect levels
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 1998
