Rhythms, pattern formation, self-repetition, self-organisms, and sensation in the living organisms are important to maintain their lives and these spatio-temporal phenomena are observed under non-equilibrium conditions. The present research on the mode-switching and vectorial process may be useful for realizing artificial systems, which mimic living organisms under nonlinear and isothermal conditions.
The synchronized self-motion of two camphor boats was investigated on a circular water route. Two kinds of synchronization, phase-locking and phase-oscillatory modes, could be produced by changing the temperature. The nature of the synchronization was discussed in relation to the distribution of the camphor layer, which is an important factor in the driving force of self-motion, and was reproduced by a numerical calculation regarding the spatial distribution of the camphor layer.
Mode-switching including hysteresis was investigated when water was poured into a cup via a water faucet. Three modes, i.e., accumulation flow (Mode I), scattering flow (Mode II), and periodic oscillatory flow ( Mode III ), were regulated by the flow rate, Q. The bifurcation flow rate at Mode I→II, QI-II, was different from that at Mode II→I, QII-I, i.e., hysteresis in mode-switching was observed. The essential features of this mode-switching were reproduced by a numerical calculation.