Complex patterns in three-dimensional excitable media with advection (Q1433745)

The effects of stationary, advective flow fields which satisfy the no-penetration condition at the boundaries of the domain, on wave propagation in 3D excitable media are investigated numerically as functions of the spatial frequency of the flow. The authors show that the advective field does not allow the propagation of spiral waves; instead, almost planar or curved fronts and complex patterns are observed. Moreover, complex periodic spatio-temporal patterns are observed when the spatial frequency of the velocity field is increased, that is, as the number of zeroes of one of the velocity components is increased. The appearance of almost planar fronts in 3D excitable media subject to stationary flow fields is explained in terms of the anisotropy, straining, rotation, compressibility and the number of stagnation points introduced by the velocity fields.