title: Study of propagation along nonuniform excitable fibers.
abstract: Two related reaction diffusion systems that support traveling wave solutions when parameters are constant are studied when there are jump discontinuities in the diffusion coefficient. The first system represents a classical axon model where the fiber had a jump in diameter at discrete locations and the membrane dynamics represent those of barnacle muscle (which we call Morris-Lecar dynamics). The second model represents a passive cable with a uniform density of spines that have Morris-Lecar dynamics. Conditions under which echo waves form are studied, as well as conditions when wave blocking takes place with a thickening of the fiber.
authors.affiliation: Mathematics Department, State University of New York at Buffalo 14214-2144.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology; D008433:Mathematics; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D001468:Thoracica