Dynamics of spiral waves in excitable media subjected to external periodic forcing

Abstract

We provide a survey of the behavior of meandering spiral waves in excitable media under periodic modulation of excitability. Model calculations were performed in a modified Oregonator model for the photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. The spiral's dynamic is followed by its tip motion. We find mode locking if the path curvature period is a rational multiple of the modulation period and resonance response of the spiral's rotation period. A general ordering structure in terms of the Farey tree is observed. The complex motion of the spiral's tip is found to be composed of harmonics of the modulation period. For large forcing amplitudes we observe an overlap of entrainment bands resulting in bi- stable behavior and in the breakup of the spiral at the end of the major entrainment band.