title: Optimal phase description of chaotic oscillators.
abstract: We introduce an optimal phase description of chaotic oscillations by generalizing the concept of isochrones. On chaotic attractors possessing a general phase description, we define the optimal isophases as Poincaré surfaces showing return times as constant as possible. The dynamics of the resultant optimal phase is maximally decoupled from the amplitude dynamics and provides a proper description of the phase response of chaotic oscillations. The method is illustrated with the Rössler and Lorenz systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Marburg University, D-35037 Marburg, Germany. jschwabedal@googlemail.com
authors.forename: Justus T C
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Schwabedal
authors.forename: Arkady
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pikovsky
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kralemann
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenblum