Dresden 2009 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 27: Poster II

DY 27.17: Poster

Thursday, March 26, 2009, 16:00–18:00, P1B

Dynamical phase diagrams for spiral waves attached to obstacles and suppression of spiral waves by boundary effects — •Claudia Hamann, Mario Einax, and Philipp Maass — Institut für Physik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany

Based on the FitzHugh-Nagumo equations we study the pinning of spiral waves by spatial inhomogeneities associated with variations of cell properties like excitability and resting state stability. These inhomogeneities can be a pacemaker source for atrial fibrillation. Dynamical phase diagrams are constructed that classify the spatio-temporal excitation patterns in dependence of the size of the obstacle and the strength of the changes of the cell properties. With increasing modification of the cell properties a transition from functional to anatomical reentry of spiral waves is found. We further show that boundaries in the neighborhood of the obstacle can suppress spiral wave generation. This allows us to gain insight into the principle and effectiveness of catheter ablation used in medical treatment of atrial fibrillation [1].

[1] C. Hamann, diploma thesis, Technische Universität Ilmenau, 2008