Chimeras unfolded (Q2116511)

The authors consider the Kuramoto model of all-to-all sinusoidally coupled phase oscillators, but with uni-, bi- or trimodal frequency distributions. As the strength of coupling is increased the asynchronous state loses stability, and the stable partially synchronous patterns that emerge from this bifurcation are determined by eigenfuctions of a specific operator. Different frequency distributions give different eigenfunctions, and these can correspond to cluster or chimera states. In the last part of the paper the authors consider nonlocally coupled oscillators on a ring. Now oscillators associated with a mode of the frequency distribution can form a twisted (or ``splay'') state in space and patterns such as ``twisted chimeras'' occur.