title: When nonlocal coupling between oscillators becomes stronger: patched synchrony or multichimera states.
abstract: Systems of nonlocally coupled oscillators can exhibit complex spatiotemporal patterns, called chimera states, which consist of coexisting domains of spatially coherent (synchronized) and incoherent dynamics. We report on a novel form of these states, found in a widely used model of a limit-cycle oscillator if one goes beyond the limit of weak coupling typical for phase oscillators. Then patches of synchronized dynamics appear within the incoherent domain giving rise to a multi-chimera state. We find that, depending on the coupling strength and range, different multichimera states arise in a transition from classical chimera states. The additional spatial modulation is due to strong coupling interaction and thus cannot be observed in simple phase-oscillator models.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Iryna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Omelchenko
authors.forename: Oleh E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Omel'chenko
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hövel
authors.forename: Eckehard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schöll
mesh_terms: D001683:Biological Clocks; D008959:Models, Neurological; D008962:Models, Theoretical