Phase Multistability in Coupled Oscillator Systems

The phenomenon of phase multistability arises in connection with the synchronization of coupled oscillator systems when the systems individually display complex wave forms associated, for instance,with the presence of subharmonic components or with significant variations of the phase velocity along the orbit of the individual oscillator. Focusing on the mechanisms underlying the appearance of phase multistability, the paper examines a variety of phase-locked patterns. In particular we demonstrate the nested structure of synchronization regions for oscillations with multicrest wave forms and investigate how the number of spikes per train and the proximity of a neighboring equilibrium point can influence the formation of coexisting regimes in coupled bursters.