Unpinning of a spiral wave anchored around a circular obstacle by an external wave train: Common aspects of a chemical reaction and cardiomyocyte tissue

It is well known that spiral waves are often stabilized by anchoring to a local heterogeneity (pinning) and that such pinned waves are rather difficult to eliminate. In the present report, we show that pinned spiral waves can be eliminated through collision with a wave train arriving from the outer region, as confirmed in experiments on the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction as well as in cardiomyocyte tissue culture. A numerical simulation using the Oregonator, a mathematical model for the BZ reaction, provides the parameter area for successful unpinning. The scenario of unpinning is discussed in terms of the dispersion relation of the wave train by taking into account the curvature effect of the excitation wave. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3263167]