Dresden 2009 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 9: Nonlinear dynamics, synchronization and chaos II

DY 9.2: Talk

Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 10:30–10:45, ZEU 255

Canards and gluing dynamics in muscle sarcomeres. — •Stefan Günther and Karsten Kruse — Saarland University, Saarbrücken

Sarcomeres, the elementary force generating elements of muscles, are able to oscillate spontaneously [1]. In a chain of sarcomeres, these oscillations can lead to traveling waves. Here we present a microscopic model for sarcomeres that takes into account the action of molecular motors and of elastic elements. The model can generate oscillations due to a Hopf-bifurcation. In addition, we find canard explosions, which are strong deformations of a limit cycle close to a Hopf-bifurcation, which account for wave generation. Beyond we find gluing bifurcations that result from the fusion of two oscillatory solutions having its origin in a varying number of molecular motors that participate in sarcomere contraction.

[1] Yasuda, Shindo, and Ishiwata, Biophys. J. 70 (1996)