COMMON MECHANISM LINKS SPIRAL WAVE MEANDERING AND WAVE-FRONT-OBSTACLESEPARATION

Spiral waves rotate either around a circular core or meander, inscribi ng a noncircular pattern. The medium properties determining the transi tion of meandering were found to be equivalent to those defining the t ransition from wave tip separation and attachment around the end of an unexcitable strip of thickness comparable to zero velocity wave-front thickness. The transition from circular to noncircular tip movement i s analytically predicted by the balance of the diffusive fluxes within the boundary layer at the wave tip.