Clustered Chimera States in Systems of Type-I Excitability

TL;DR

This paper investigates the emergence and stability of clustered chimera states in systems modeled after neural excitability type I, revealing how parameters like coupling range and strength influence complex coexisting synchronized and desynchronized behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces the first detailed analysis of clustered chimeras in a neural excitability type I model, including stability diagrams and the effects of various parameters.

Findings

Multiple coherent regions in chimera states depend on system parameters.

Stable coexisting patterns like traveling waves are identified.

Parameter ranges for different chimera configurations are mapped.

Abstract

Chimera is a fascinating phenomenon of coexisting synchronized and desynchronized behaviour that was discovered in networks of nonlocally coupled identical phase oscillators over ten years ago. Since then, chimeras were found in numerous theoretical and experimental studies and more recently in models of neuronal dynamics as well. In this work, we consider a generic model for a saddle-node bifurcation on a limit cycle representative for neural excitability type I. We obtain chimera states with multiple coherent regions (clustered chimeras/multi-chimeras) depending on the distance from the excitability threshold, the range of nonlocal coupling as well as the coupling strength. A detailed stability diagram for these chimera states as well as other interesting coexisting patterns like traveling waves are presented.