title: Interaction-based transition from passivity to excitability.
abstract: In this paper we study the process of transition from passive to excitable behavior due to interaction between nonlinear dynamical systems. We show that under certain conditions a passive unit may demonstrate qualitatively new excitable dynamics. We study the properties of an excitable medium constructed on the basis of the proposed transition. The effects are demonstrated with the realistic Luo-Rudy model. Application to the cardiac dynamics and functioning is discussed. The qualitative analytic and numerical description is also given for the phenomenological FitzHugh-Nagumo system.
authors.affiliation: Nizhny Novgorod State University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.affiliation: Nizhny Novgorod State University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Osipov
mesh_terms: D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics