Loss of lag synchronization in coupled chaotic systems

Lag synchronization denotes a particular form of synchronization in which t he amplitudes of two interacting, nonidentical chaotic oscillators are corr elated but there is a characteristic time delay between them. We study tran sitions to and between different forms of synchronization for the attractor s defined as "in-phase" and "out-of-phase" and investigate the processes by which lag synchronization is lost in two coupled Rossler systems. With a s mall frequency mismatch between the two systems, these processes are relate d to the occurrence of a peculiar form of basin structure as more and more periodic orbits embedded into the synchronized chaotic state become unstabl e in a transverse direction. [S1063-651X(99)03711-3].