Optimal noise in the hodgepodge machine simulation of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

Abstract

One of the simplest multilevel cellular automata - the hodgepodge machine - was modified to best match the chemical trajectory observed in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. Noise introduces watersheding of the central regular pattern into the circular target pattern. This article analyzes influences of the neighborhood and internal excitation kinds of noise. We have found that configurations of ignition points, which give circular waves - target patterns, occur only in the interval of the neighborhood excitation noise from 30% to 34% and at the internal excitation noise of 12%. Noisy hodgepodge machine with these parameters is the best approximation to the experimental Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction.