Chimera Patterns of Synchrony in a Frustrated Array of Hebb Synapses

The union of the Kuramoto–Sakaguchi model and the Hebb dynamics reproduces the Lisman switch through a bistability in synchronized states. Here, we show that, within certain ranges of the frustration parameter, the chimera pattern can emerge, causing a different, time-evolving, distribution in the Hebbian synaptic strengths. We study the stability range of the chimera as a function of the frustration (phase-lag) parameter. Depending on the range of the frustration, two different types of chimeras can appear spontaneously, i.e., from randomized initial conditions. In the first type, the oscillators in the coherent region rotate, on average, slower than those in the incoherent region; while in the second type, the average rotational frequencies of the two regions are reversed, i.e., the coherent region runs, on average, faster than the incoherent region. We also show that non-stationary behavior at finite N can be controlled by adjusting the natural frequency of a single pacemaker oscillator. By slowly cycling the frequency of the pacemaker, we observe hysteresis in the system. Finally, we discuss how we can have a model for learning and memory.