TY - JOUR A1 - Schelter, Björn A1 - Winterhalder, Matthias A1 - Dahlhaus, Rainer A1 - Kurths, Jürgen A1 - Timmer, Jens T1 - Partial phase synchronization for multivariate synchronizing systems N2 - Graphical models applying partial coherence to multivariate time series are a powerful tool to distinguish direct and indirect interdependencies in multivariate linear systems. We carry over the concept of graphical models and partialization analysis to phase signals of nonlinear synchronizing systems. This procedure leads to the partial phase synchronization index which generalizes a bivariate phase synchronization index to the multivariate case and reveals the coupling structure in multivariate synchronizing systems by differentiating direct and indirect interactions. This ensures that no false positive conclusions are drawn concerning the interaction structure in multivariate synchronizing systems. By application to the paradigmatic model of a coupled chaotic Roessler system, the power of the partial phase synchronization index is demonstrated Y1 - 2006 UR - http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v96/i20/e208103 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1103/Physrevlett.96.208103 ER -