Dynamics of elastic excitable media

The Burridge-Knopoff model of earthquake faults with viscous friction is eq uivalent to a van der Pol-FitzHugh-Nagumo model for excitable media with el astic coupling. The lubricated creep-slip friction law we use in Burridge-K nopoff model describes the frictional sliding dynamics of a range of real m aterials. Low-dimensional structures including synchronous oscillations and propagating fronts are dominant, in agreement with the results of laborato ry friction experiments. Here we explore the dynamics of fronts in elastic excitable media.