The effect of weak inhomogeneity on spiral wave dynamics is studied within the framework of the two-dimensional complex Ginzburg-Landau equation description. The inhomogeneity gives spatial dependence to the frequency of spiral waves. This provides a mechanism for the formation of a dominant spiral domain that suppresses other spiral domains. The spiral vortices also slowly drift in the inhomogeneity, and results for the velocity are given.

• Received 17 April 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.859