Localization of response functions of spiral waves in the FitzHugh-Nagumo system

Abstract

Dynamics of spiral waves in perturbed, e. g. slightly inhomogeneous or subject to a small periodic external force, two-dimensional autowave media can be described asymptotically in terms of Aristotelean dynamics, so that the velocities of the spiral wave drift in space and time are proportional to the forces caused by the perturbation. The forces are defined as a convolution of the perturbation with the spiral's Response Functions, which are eigenfunctions of the adjoint linearised problem. In this paper we find numerically the Response Functions of a spiral wave solution in the classic excitable FitzHugh-Nagumo model, and show that they are effectively localised in the vicinity of the spiral core.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure