Abstract
The skills of a computational physicist are shown to be useful in the seemingly distant field of cardiac electrophysiology. The propagation of cardiac action potentials and their ability to form spiral waves are easily understood at a basic level when standard concepts from the theory of partial differential equations are applied. The design of computer simulations of action potential propagation is facilitated by adapting numerical concepts routinely applied by computational physicists. These concepts must be modified and combined with computer structures standard in computer science to handle the timescale and spatial scale problems unique to the action potential propagation problem. The resulting simulation shows how details of ion channel dynamics determine properties of the spiral wave, including its propagation speed, its period, its stability, and the size of the spiral core.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
