Universal relations of local order parameters for partially synchronized oscillators.

Abstract

Interactions among discrete oscillatory units (e.g., cells) can result in partially synchronized states when some of the units exhibit phase locking and others phase slipping. Such states are typically characterized by a global order parameter that expresses the extent of synchrony in the system. Here we show that such states carry data-rich information of the system behavior, and a local order parameter analysis reveals universal relations through a semicircle representation. The universal relations are derived from thermodynamic limit analysis of a globally coupled Kuramoto-type phase oscillator model. The relations are confirmed with the partially synchronized states in numerical simulations with a model of circadian cells and in laboratory experiments with chemical oscillators. The application of the theory allows direct approximation of coupling strength, the natural frequency of oscillations, and the phase lag parameter without extensive nonlinear fits as well as a self-consistency check for presence of network interactions and higher harmonic components in the phase model.