Spiral formation and degeneration in heterogeneous excitable media.
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.
Toth
Rita
R
University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
de Lacy Costello
Ben
B
Stone
Christopher
C
Masere
Jonathan
J
Adamatzky
Andrew
A
Bull
Larry
L