Applied Maths Seminar: Wechselberger -- Bursts and Canards in a Pituitary Lactotroph Model

Martin Wechselberger 
School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sydney 

Bursting oscillations in nerve cells have been the focus of a great deal of attention by
mathematicians.  These are typically studied by taking advantage of multiple time-scales
in the system under study to perform a singular perturbation analysis.  Bursting also
occurs in hormone-secreting pituitary cells, but is characterized by fast bursts with
small electrical impulses.  Although the separation of time-scales is not as clear,
singular perturbation analysis is still the key to understand the bursting mechanism.
In particular, we will show that canards are responsible for the observed oscillatory
behaviour.  

This is joint work with Theodore Vo.