Analytical and Numerical Studies of Noise-induced Synchronization of Chaotic Systems

We study the effect that the injection of a common source of noise has on the trajectories of chaotic systems, addressing some contradictory results present in the literature. We present particular examples of 1-d maps and the Lorenz system, both in the chaotic region, and give numerical evidence showing that the addition of a common noise to different trajectories, which start from different initial conditions, leads eventually to their perfect synchronization. When synchronization occurs, the largest Lyapunov exponent becomes negative. For a simple map we are able to show this phenomenon analytically. Finally, we analyze the structural stability of the phenomenon.