Localization of Waves without Bistability: Worms in Nematic Electroconvection

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1998 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.333· OSTI ID:638813

Riecke, H ^[1]; Granzow, G D ^[2]

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1. Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)
2. Department of Mathematics, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho (United States)

A general localization mechanism for waves in dissipative systems is identified that does not require the bistability of the basic state and the nonlinear plane-wave state. We conjecture that the mechanism explains the two-dimensional localized wave structures ({open_quotes}worms{close_quotes}) that recently have been observed in experiments on electroconvection in nematic liquid crystals where the transition to extended waves is supercritical. The mechanism accounts for the shape of the worms, their propagation direction, and certain aspects of their interaction. The dynamics of the localized waves can be steady or irregular. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-92ER14303
• OSTI ID: 638813
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 81, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1998
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
FORCED CONVECTION
LIQUID CRYSTALS
WAVE PROPAGATION
DISSIPATION FACTOR
TRAVELLING WAVES