Simulating strange attraction of acellular slime mould Physarum polycephaum to herbal tablets

TL;DR

This study models and demonstrates how acellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum responds to herbal tablets, showing complex behaviors like attraction, movement routines, and limit cycles, with potential for organized control.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation of Physarum behaviour using the Oregonator model, incorporating long-distance attraction and short-distance repulsion fields for controlled movement.

Findings

Plasmodium exhibits attraction and complex routines around herbal tablets.

Simulation confirms control of movement via attraction and repulsion fields.

Behavior can be organized into arbitrary patterns using the model.

Abstract

Plasmodium of acellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum exhibits traits of wave-like behaviour. The plasmodium's behaviour can be finely tuned in laboratory experiments by using herbal tablets. A single tablet acts as a fixed attractor: plasmodium propagates towards the tablet, envelops the tablet with its body and stays around the tablet for several days. Being presented with several tablets the plasmodium executes limit cycle like motions. The plasmodium performs sophisticated routines of movement around tablets: rotation, splitting, and annihilation. We use to two-variable Oregonator model to simulate the plasmodium behaviour in presence of the herbal tablets. Numerical experiments confirm that using long-distance attracting and short-distance repelling fields we can organise arbitrary movement of plasmodia.