title: Variability-induced transition in a net of neural elements: From oscillatory to excitable behavior.
abstract: Starting with an oscillatory net of neural elements, increasing variability induces a phase transition to excitability. This transition is explained by a systematic effect of the variability, which stabilizes the formerly unstable, spatially uniform, temporally constant solution of the net. Multiplicative noise may also influence the net in a systematic way and may thus induce a similar transition. Adding noise into the model, the interplay of noise and variability with respect to the reported transition is investigated. Finally, pattern formation in a diffusively coupled net is studied, because excitability implies the ability of pattern formation and information transmission.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Physics, Darmstadt University of Technology, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Glatt
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gassel
authors.forename: Friedemann
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kaiser