The changing notion of chimera states, a critical review

TL;DR

This paper critically reviews the evolving concept of chimera states, examining how different models, interpretations, and experimental findings have shaped the understanding of these complex phenomena.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of how the definition and understanding of chimera states have broadened over time across theoretical and experimental research.

Findings

The notion of chimera states has expanded to include diverse models and coupling schemes.

Interpretations of coexistence, synchrony, and incoherence have influenced their conceptualization.

Chimera states are increasingly recognized in real-world systems.

Abstract

Chimera states, states of coexistence of synchronous and asynchronous motion, have been a subject of extensive research since they were first given a name in 2004. Increased interest has lead to their discovery in ever new settings, both theoretical and experimental. Less well-discussed is the fact that successive results have also broadened the notion of what actually constitutes a chimera state. In this article, we critically examine how the results for different model types and coupling schemes, as well as varying implicit interpretations of terms such as coexistence, synchrony and incoherence, have influenced the common understanding of what constitutes a chimera. We cover both theoretical and experimental systems, address various chimera-derived terms that have emerged over the years and finally reflect on the question of chimera states in real-world contexts.