Spontaneous bursting: From temporal to spatio-temporal intermittency

A simple model for temporal bursting is introduced. This model invokes either dynamic or random forcing of a bifurcation parameter of some simple dynamical system in a way that makes the bifurcation parameter spend suitable amounts of time below and above the bifurcation threshold. This model is extended to coupled map lattices to produce spontaneous spatio-temporal burstings. It models physical systems which are embedded in a random background that is statistically homogeneous in space and time. An application of this model to optical turbulence is discussed. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics