Nonlinear self-organized population dynamics induced by external selective nonlocal processes.

Self-organization evolution of a population is studied considering generalized reaction-diffusion equations. We proposed a model based on non-local operators that has several of the equations traditionally used in research on population dynamics as particular cases. Then, employing a relatively simple functional form of the non-local kernel, we determined the conditions under which the analyzed population develops spatial patterns, as well as their main characteristics. Finally, we established a relationship between the developed model and real systems by making simulations of bacterial populations subjected to non-homogeneous lighting conditions. Our proposal reproduces some of the experimental results that other approaches considered previously had not been able to obtain.

From cellular automata to growth dynamics: The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang universality class.

We demonstrate that in the continuous limit the etching mechanism yields the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation in a (d+1)-dimensional space. We show that the parameters ν, associated with the surface tension, and λ, associated with the nonlinear term of the KPZ equation, are not phenomenological, but rather they stem from a new probability distribution function. The Galilean invariance is recovered independently of d, and we illustrate this via very precise numerical simulations. We obtain firsthand the coupling parameter as a function of the probabilities. In addition, we strengthen the argument that there is no upper critical limit for the KPZ equation.

Thermodynamics aspects of noise-induced phase synchronization.

In this article, we present an approach for the thermodynamics of phase oscillators induced by an internal multiplicative noise. We analytically derive the free energy, entropy, internal energy, and specific heat. In this framework, the formulation of the first law of thermodynamics requires the definition of a synchronization field acting on the phase oscillators. By introducing the synchronization field, we have consistently obtained the susceptibility and analyzed its behavior. This allows us to characterize distinct phases in the system, which we have denoted as synchronized and parasynchronized phases, in analogy with magnetism. The system also shows a rich complex behavior, exhibiting ideal gas characteristics for low temperatures and susceptibility anomalies that are similar to those present in complex fluids such as water.

Pattern formation and coexistence domains for a nonlocal population dynamics.

In this Rapid Communication we propose a most general equation to study pattern formation for one-species populations and their limit domains in systems of length L. To accomplish this, we include nonlocality in the growth and competition terms, where the integral kernels now depend on characteristic length parameters α and ß. Therefore, we derived a parameter space (α,ß) where it is possible to analyze a coexistence curve α^{*}=α^{*}(ß) that delimits domains for the existence (or absence) of pattern formation in population dynamics systems. We show that this curve is analogous to the coexistence curve in classical thermodynamics and critical phenomena physics. We have successfully compared this model with experimental data for diffusion of Escherichia coli populations.