In a dynamic far-field diffraction experiment, we calculate the largest
Lyapunov exponent of a time series obtained from the optical
fluctuations in a dynamic diffraction pattern. The time series is used
to characterize the locomotory predictability of an oversampled
microscopic species. We use a live nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, as a model organism to demonstrate
our method. The time series is derived from the intensity at one point
in the diffraction pattern. This single time series displays chaotic
markers in the locomotion of the Caenorhabditis
elegans by reconstructing the multidimensional phase space.
The average largest Lyapunov exponent (base e) associated with the
dynamic diffraction of 10 adult wildtype (N2) Caenorhabditis elegans is
1.27
±
0.03
s
−
1
.
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