title: Shaping wave patterns in reaction-diffusion systems.
abstract: We present a method to control the two-dimensional shape of traveling wave solutions to reaction-diffusion systems, such as, interfaces and excitation pulses. Control signals that realize a pregiven wave shape are determined analytically from nonlinear evolution equation for isoconcentration lines as the perturbed nonlinear phase diffusion equation or the perturbed linear eikonal equation. While the control enforces a desired wave shape perpendicular to the local propagation direction, the wave profile along the propagation direction itself remains almost unaffected. Provided that the one-dimensional wave profile of all state variables and its propagation velocity can be measured experimentally, and the diffusion coefficients of the reacting species are given, the new approach can be applied even if the underlying nonlinear reaction kinetics are unknown.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Hardenbergstraße 36, EW 7-1, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Löber
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Hardenbergstraße 36, EW 7-1, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Hardenbergstraße 36, EW 7-1, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Engel