Figure 1

Wave patterns on a long tube (length: 32 cells, circumference: 8 cells, noise rate: 0.1 Hz). (A) Network geometry: the scissors indicate the line at which the tube is cut for presentation in B. (B) Snapshots of network activity during 4 ms intervals in an illustrative phase of the dynamics. The wave fronts propagating transversely collide with each other, causing extinction due to the refractory period. Subsequently, the remaining wave-fronts propagating longitudinally dominate the dynamics and the North-South wave-front orientation dominates. (C) Temporal development of different wave-front orientations. Snapshot time markings are consistent with those in B.