Breaking the symmetry in bimodal frequency distributions of globally coupled oscillators

Abstract

The mean-field Kuramoto model for synchronization of phase oscillators with an asymmetric bimodal frequency distribution is analyzed. Breaking the reflection symmetry facilitates oscillator synchronization to rotating wave phases. Numerical simulations support the results based on bifurcation theory and high-frequency calculations. In the latter case, the order parameter is a linear superposition of parameters corresponding to rotating and counterrotating phases.© 1998 The American Physical Society.