Diffusion-driven instability in a predator-prey system with time-varying diffusivities (Q1184681)

The authors consider the predator-prey system (modeling planktonic species) \[ \begin{aligned} u_ t &= D_ 1u_{xx}+u(a_ 1+b_ 1u-c_ 1v),\\ v_ t &= D_ 1(a+b \sin kt)v_{xx}+v(-b_ 2v+c_ 2u), \qquad x\in R,\;t>0, \end{aligned} \tag{*} \] with positive constants \(a_ 1\), \(b_ i\), \(c_ i\), \(D_ 1\), \(k\) and with constants \(a\), \(b\) satisfying \(a>1\), \(a>| b|\). It is assumed that, without diffusion, (*) has a stable positive equilibrium. In case \(b=0\), it is well known that there is a critical value \(a_{cr}\) for a beyond which this equilibrium becomes unstable as a solution to (*). It is shown both analytically (by a linearization argument) and numerically that this critical value becomes larger with the introduction of the time-varying diffusion-coefficient \(b\sin kt\) into (*).