A novel, protean, topological soliton has recently been shown to emerge in
systems of repulsive particles in cylindrical geometries, whose statics is
described by the number-theoretical objects of phyllotaxis. Here we present a
minimal and local continuum model that can explain many of the features of the
phyllotactic soliton, such as locked speed, screw shift, energy transport and,
for Wigner crystal on a nanotube, charge transport. The treatment is general
and should apply to other spiraling systems. Unlike e.g. Sine-Gornon-like
systems, our solitons can exist between non-degenerate structure, imply a power
flow through the system, dynamics of the domains it separates; we also predict
pulses, both static and dynamic. Applications include charge transport in
Wigner Crystals on nanotubes or A- to B-DNA transitions.Comment: 8 Pages, 6 Figures, Phys Rev E in pres