Theory and experiments of spiral unpinning in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction using a circularly polarized electric field

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a circularly polarized electric field can unpin spiral waves in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction through experiments and modeling, revealing a distinct unpinning mechanism and analytical relations.

Contribution

First experimental demonstration of spiral wave unpinning in BZ reaction using a circularly polarized electric field with an analytical model.

Findings

Unpinning occurs when electric force opposes wave propagation.

Developed an analytical relation for unpinning phase.

Verified the relation through experiments.

Abstract

We present the first experimental study of unpinning a spiral wave of excitation using a circularly polarized electric field. The experiments are conducted in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky(BZ) reaction, and the system is modeled using the Oregenator model. The mechanism of unpinning in the BZ reaction differs from that in the physiological medium. We show that the wave unpins when the electric force opposes the propagation of the spiral wave. We developed an analytical relation of the unpinning phase with the initial phase, the pacing ratio, and the field strength and verified the same.