title: Chemotactic predator-prey dynamics.
abstract: A discrete chemotactic predator-prey model is proposed in which the prey secrets a diffusing chemical which is sensed by the predator and vice versa. Two dynamical states corresponding to catching and escaping are identified and it is shown that steady hunting is unstable. For the escape process, the predator-prey distance is diffusive for short times but exhibits a transient subdiffusive behavior which scales as a power law t¹/³ with time t and ultimately crosses over to diffusion again. This allows us to classify the motility and dynamics of various predatory microbes and phagocytes. In particular, there is a distinct region in the parameter space where they prove to be infallible predators.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Ankush
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sengupta
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kruppa
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Löwen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002633:Chemotaxis; D003198:Computer Simulation; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004058:Diffusion; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D016941:Myxococcus xanthus / Q000378:metabolism; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012903:Smell
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D000242:Cyclic AMP