Spiral formation and degeneration in heterogeneous excitable media

Toth, Rita; De Lacy Costello, Ben; Stone, Christopher; Masere, Jonathan; Adamatzky, Andrew; Bull, Larry

Abstract

Spontaneous spiral formation occurs when an excitation wave is input to a heterogeneous network of low- and high-light-intensity cells projected onto a light-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. The range of network conditions where spirals form is increased if two waves are input at critical time intervals. Spirals degenerate to form multiple spirals and spirals trapped within excitable cells. Spiral formation and degeneration is dependent on network excitability, cell size, and network size. Results exhibit parallels with spiral formation in excitable biological systems such as the heart. © 2009 The American Physical Society.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Mar 3, 2009
• Journal: Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
• Print ISSN: 2470-0045
• Electronic ISSN: 2470-0053
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 79
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 035101(R) (4 pages)
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.79.035101
• Keywords: pattern formation in reactions with diffusion, flow and heat transfer, self-organized systems, pattern selection, pattern formation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1006049
• Publisher URL: http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.79.035101