Desynchronization bifurcation of coupled nonlinear dynamical systems

We analyze the desynchronization bifurcation in the coupled Rossler oscillators. After the bifurcation the coupled oscillators move away from each other with a square root dependence on the parameter. We define system transverse Lyapunov exponents (STLE), and in the desynchronized state one is positive while the other is negative. We give a simple model of coupled integrable systems with quadratic nonlinearity that shows a similar phenomenon. We conclude that desynchronization is a pitchfork bifurcation of the transverse manifold. Cubic nonlinearity also shows the bifurcation, but in this case the STLEs are both negative. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3581154]