Desensitization effects in the ruthenium-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The influence of visible light on the velocities of spiral waves in the [Ru(bpy)]₃²⁺-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction is well documented. However, there are only few reports showing the effect of the way a change in the applied intensity is made, or on “desensitization” or “memory” type phenomena. In this paper, we present observations showing significant changes in spiral tip dynamics without varying the light intensity during the course of the experiments. We produce further evidence showing that changes in wave velocity and inhibitory effects are depending on whether the increase in intensity is applied in one large step or in a number of smaller steps. Also, the tip trajectories before and after the spiral waves have been subjected to an increase and subsequent decrease in intensity levels are different, suggesting a change in excitation of the system. The experimental results are separated into two groups depending on the light sensitivity of the system and the behavior of the spiral tip. Simulation results demonstrate that the different tip trajectories observed in the experiments can be modeled by only varying the excitation threshold. Our observations indicate that there must be at least two different competing pathways for the reaction mechanism not only in the oscillatory BZ system but also in excitable media and that intermediates may also play an important part in determining the excitation of the system and not just the initial concentrations of the reactants.