Atrial Fibrillation
A cellular automaton model of the heart's atrial tissue, based on Christensen, Manani & Peters (PRL 2015). Cells excite, become refractory, then rest. The single parameter ν controls how many transverse connections exist between rows of cells.
High ν: signals propagate uniformly (normal rhythm). Low ν: excitation waves break up into re-entrant spirals (fibrillation). A pacemaker drives the left edge every 220 steps. White = excited, grey = refractory, black = resting.
ν = 0.18
Transition — paroxysmal AF
t = 0 | arrhythmia risk ≈ 5.4% | τ=50 δ=0.05 ε=0.05 L=150
↑/↓ ν: change connectivity · vertical boundary is periodic · pacemaker fires every 220 steps