Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 224, 1605-1617 (2015)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2015-02483-x

Regular Article

Multi-headed chimera states in coupled pendula

Division of Dynamics, Lodz University of Technology, Stefanowskiego 1/15, 90-924 Lodz, Poland

^a e-mail: tomaszka@p.lodz.pl

Received: 7 March 2015
Revised: 20 May 2015
Published online: 27 July 2015

Abstract

We discuss the occurrence of the chimera states in the network of coupled, excited by the clock's mechanisms pendula. We find the patterns of multi-headed chimera states in which pendula clustered in different heads behave differently (oscillate with different frequencies) and create different types of synchronous states (complete or phase synchronization). The mathematical model of the network shows that the observed chimera states are controlled by elementary dynamical equations derived from the Newton's laws that are ubiquitous in many physical and engineering systems.