Spatiotemporal intermittency on fractal lattices.

Abstract

The transition to turbulence via spatiotemporal intermittency is investigated for coupled maps defined on generalized Sierpinski gaskets, a class of deterministic fractal lattices. Critical exponents that characterize the onset of intermittency are computed as a function of the fractal dimension of the lattice. Windows of spatiotemporal intermittency are found as the coupling parameter is varied for lattices with a fractal dimension greater than two. This phenomenon is associated with a collective chaotic behavior of the fractal array of coupled maps.