Asynchronous updating of coupled maps leads to synchronization

We investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of two dimensional coupled map l attices, in the strong coupling phase, evolving under updating rules incorp orating varying degrees of asynchronicity. Interestingly, we observe that p arallel updates never allow synchronization among the sites, while asynchro ncity has the effect of opening up windows in parameter space where the syn chronized dynamics gains stability. As asynchronicity increases, the parame ter range supporting synchronization gets rapidly wider. Detailed numerics, including bifurcation diagrams and patterns formed en route to synchroniza tion, are reported. We also attempt a mean-field analysis of the system in order to try and account for the stability of the spatiotemporal fixed poin t under asynchronous updates. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S105 4-1500(00)01002-8].