Propagation failure in excitable media

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.57.299· OSTI ID:567020

Hagberg, A ^[1]; Meron, E ^[2]

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1. Center for Nonlinear Studies and T-7, Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research and the Physics Department, Ben-Gurion University, Sede Boker Campus 84990, Sede Boker (Israel)

We study a mechanism of pulse propagation failure in excitable media where stable traveling pulse solutions appear via a subcritical pitchfork bifurcation. The bifurcation plays a key role in that mechanism. Small perturbations, externally applied or from internal instabilities, may cause pulse propagation failure (wave breakup) provided the system is close enough to the bifurcation point. We derive relations showing how the pitchfork bifurcation is unfolded by weak curvature or advective field perturbations and use them to demonstrate wave breakup. We suggest that the recent observations of wave breakup in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction induced by either an electric field [J.J. Taboada {ital et al.}. Chaos {bold 4}, 519 (1994)] or a transverse instability [M. Markus, G. Kloss, and I. Kusch, Nature (London) {bold 371}, 402 (1994)] are manifestations of this mechanism. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 567020
• Journal Information: Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics, Journal Name: Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 57; ISSN PLEEE8; ISSN 1063-651X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
BIFURCATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
EXCITED STATES
INSTABILITY
PULSES
TRAVELLING WAVES
WAVE PROPAGATION