Layered synchronization in star configuration of chaotic systems

Department of Physics, Southeast University - Nanjing 210096, PRC

Received: 27 April 2004
Accepted: 19 July 2004

Abstract

We study the dynamics of unidirectionally coupled linear arrays of chaotic oscillators in star configuration, and find that if the central driving oscillator is different from the oscillators come off from it in the linear arrays, then the oscillators in different linear arrays with the same position with respect to the central one are synchronized but no chaotic synchronization occurs in any one linear array. Such a synchronization, called layered synchronization, severely depends on the dynamical coupling symmetry. Numerical calculation shows that, for the Lorenz oscillator, the strange attractor spiralling around two focus points will become a strange attractor spiralling around one focus point down the linear arrays. The stabilities of the synchronized states are enhanced by chaos, and degraded when the oscillators are far from the central driving oscillator.