Blinking chimeras in globally coupled rotators

Area of Science:

• Complex Systems
• Nonlinear Dynamics
• Network Science

Background:

• Chimera states are symmetry-broken dynamics in coupled oscillator systems.
• These states involve coexisting synchronized and desynchronized oscillator populations.
• Previous research focused on stable chimera states in various oscillator networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel 'blinking chimera' regime in globally coupled rotators.
• To analyze the dissolution and reformation dynamics of synchronized clusters.
• To characterize the different types of blinking events and their underlying mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Simulations of an ensemble of seven globally coupled Kuramoto oscillators with inertia.
• Identification and classification of rare blinking events.
• Application of stability analysis to chaotic and regular dynamical regimes.

Main Results:

• Observed a blinking chimera regime characterized by a death-birth process of the synchronized cluster.
• Identified three distinct types of rare blinking events.
• Provided quantitative characterization of the long-lived chaotic state and short-lived regular regimes during cluster dissolution.

Conclusions:

• The blinking chimera state represents a dynamic and transient form of symmetry breaking.
• The observed death-birth process highlights the complex interplay between stability and instability in oscillator networks.
• Stability analysis provides insights into the mechanisms driving cluster dissolution and reformation.