  We present a new set of kinematic equations for front motion in bistable
media. The equations extend earlier kinematic approaches by coupling the front
curvature with the order parameter associated with a parity breaking front
bifurcation. In addition to naturally describing the core region of rotating
spiral waves the equations can be be used to study the nucleation of
spiral-wave pairs along uniformly propagating fronts. The analysis of
spiral-wave nucleation reduces to the simpler problem of droplet, or domain,
nucleation in one space dimension.
