This experiment was performed just beyond the point
at which the 12/6/1 ordered becomes unstable. The
ring structure of the central cell surrounded by 6 cells
in a hexagonal array is still visible. Much of the
splitting activity occurs in the cells in the outermost
ring. The splitting and merging activity tends to occur in
bursts.
Cells Segmented
This image and accompanying movie show the result of segmentation
of each frame. The cells are not mapped to
their descendents in successive frames so there is no color
correspondence between cells from one frame to the next.
The loss of stability of the 12/6/1 appears as cells from
the outer ring elongate and move to the inner ring. The
remaining cells in the outer ring adjust by splitting to
fill the gaps.
Movie (.43M)
Time-Lapse
The time-lapse of the cell centers shows that not all of the outer ring
cells participate in the inward migration. The time-lapse is taken
during segmentation before mapping, so color is not significant.
Movie (.06M)
Time Line
The time-line visualization
indicates that a cell participates in several splits and merges in its
struggle to reach the center.
Movie (.75M)