Dynamical quorum sensing and synchronization in collections of excitable and oscillatory catalytic particles

We present experimental studies of interacting excitable and oscillatory catalytic particles in well-stirred and spatially distributed systems. A number of distinct paths to synchronized oscillatory behavior are described. We present an example of a Kuramoto type transition in a well-stirred system with a collective rhythm emerging on increasing the number density of oscillatory particles. Groups of spatially distributed oscillatory particles become entrained to a common frequency by organizing centers. Quorum sensing type transitions are found in populations of globally and locally coupled excitable particles, with a sharp transition from steady state to fully synchronized behavior at a critical density or group size. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.