Regensburg 2013 – scientific programme
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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik
DY 7: Poster I
DY 7.21: Poster
Monday, March 11, 2013, 17:30–19:30, Poster C
Experimental Chimera States in a Network of Mechanical Oscillators — Erik A. Martens1,2, Shashi Thutupalli1,3, •Antoine Fourrière1, and Oskar Hallatschek1 — 1Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany — 2Aqua, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark — 3Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
Synchronization of oscillating units is at the heart of numerous natural phenomena. Over the last 10 years, theoretical studies have predicted the existence of counterintuitive 'chimera states', where a population of identical oscillators splits into a synchronous and asynchronous part. For a deep understanding of these collective states and their relevance, the physical mechanisms causing their emergence must be resolved. Here, we use a purely mechanical system of coupled metronomes to show that chimeras emerge naturally from a competition between two antagonistic synchronization patterns. We obtain a spectrum of complex states, encompassing and extending the set of previously described chimeras. Our mechanical model strongly suggests that such states are a ubiquitous feature in nature, manifesting themselves in technological settings ranging from power grids to optomechanical arrays.