Use of a saline oscillator as a simple nonlinear dynamical system: Rhythms, bifurcation, and entrainment

An oscillatory flow of water is generated when a cup, with a small orifice (ca. 1 mm diam) in its base, and filled with saline water, is placed within an outer vessel containing pure water. This simple system exhibits various nonlinear characteristics, such as a limit cycle, bifurcation of the oscillatory flow, and entrainment among the oscillators. These characteristics can be reproduced by a numerical simulation based on simple nonlinear differential equations.