Observation and characterization of chimera states in coupled dynamical systems with nonlocal coupling.

By developing the concepts of strength of incoherence and discontinuity measure, we show that a distinct quantitative characterization of chimera and multichimera states which occur in networks of coupled nonlinear dynamical systems admitting nonlocal interactions of finite radius can be made. These measures also clearly distinguish between chimera or multichimera states (both stable and breathing types) and coherent and incoherent as well as cluster states. The measures provide a straightforward and precise characterization of the various dynamical states in coupled chaotic dynamical systems irrespective of the complexity of the underlying attractors.