Asymptotic dynamics of reflecting spiral waves

Abstract: Resonantly forced spiral waves in excitable media drift in straight-line paths, their rotation centers behaving as point-like objects moving along trajectories with a constant velocity. Interaction with medium boundaries alters this velocity and may often result in a reflection of the drift trajectory. Such reflections have diverse characteristics and are known to be highly nonspecular in general. In this context we apply the theory of response functions, which via numerically computable integrals, reduces the reaction-diffusion equations governing the whole excitable medium to the dynamics of just the rotation center and rotation phase of a spiral wave. Spiral reflection trajectories are computed by this method for both small- and large-core spiral waves in the Barkley model. Such calculations provide insight into the process of reflection as well as explanations for differences in trajectories across parameters, including the effects of incidence angle and forcing amplitude. Qualitative aspects of these results are preserved far beyond the asymptotic limit of weak boundary effects and slow resonant drift.