Traveling waves and dynamical formation of autonomous pacemakers in a bistable medium with periodic boundary conditions

Abstract

The problem of spatiotemporal pattern formation in the wall of arterial vesselsmay be reduced to 1D or 2D models of nonlinear active medium. We address this problem using the discrete array of non-oscillating (bistable) active units. We show how the specific choice of initial conditions in a 1D model with periodic boundary conditions triggers the self-sustained behaviour. We reveal the core of observed effects being the dynamical formation of localized (few-element size) autonomous pacemakers.