Modelling nonlinear chemical oscillators with inhibitory coupling

Abstract

We investigate the nonlinear, oscillatory Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction by constructing a computationally efficient Kuromoto-based model to predict its behavior. We treat each BZ droplet as a chemical oscillator that is coupled to its neighbors through diffusion and generate the coupling function used in our model. We then test our model with experimental data for a series of one-dimensional 60 micron diameter BZ droplets. The RMS error between the measured phases of the droplets and our simulation is 0.118 radians.