Non-equilibrium ribbon model of scroll waves with twist

Abstract

We formulate a reduced model to analyze the motion of the core of a twisted scroll wave. The model is first shown to provide a simple description of the onset and nonlinear evolution of the helical state appearing in the sproing bifurcation of scroll waves. It then serves to examine the experimentally studied case of a medium with spatially-varying excitability. The model shows the role of sproing in this more complex setting and highlights the differences between the convective and absolute sproing instabilities.