Resonances while surmounting a fluctuating barrier

J. Iwaniszewski, I. K. Kaufman, P. V. E. McClintock, and A. J. McKane
Phys. Rev. E 61, 1170 – Published 1 February 2000
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Abstract

Electronic analog experiments on escape over a fluctuating potential barrier are performed for the case when the fluctuations are caused by Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise (OUN). In its dependence on the relation between the two OUN parameters (the correlation time τ and noise strength Q) the nonmonotonic variation of the mean escape time T as a function of τ can exhibit either a minimum (resonant activation), or a maximum (inhibition of activation), or both these effects. The possible resonant nature of these features is discussed. We claim that T is not a good quantity to describe the resonancelike character of the problem. Independently of the specific relation between the OUN parameters, the resonance manifests itself as a maximal lowering of the potential barrier during the escape event, and it appears for τ of the order of the relaxation time toward the metastable state.

  • Received 7 September 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.61.1170

©2000 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

J. Iwaniszewski1,2,*, I. K. Kaufman1,3,†, P. V. E. McClintock1,‡, and A. J. McKane4,§

  • 1School of Physics and Chemistry, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
  • 2Institute of Physics, Nicholas Copernicus University, Grudzia̧dzka 5, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
  • 3Russian Research Institute for Metrological Service, Ozernaya 46, 119361 Moscow, Russia
  • 4Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom

  • *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic address: jan.iwaniszewski@phys.uni.torun.pl
  • Electronic address: ikaufman@df.ru
  • Electronic address: p.v.e.mcclintock@lancaster.ac.uk
  • §Electronic address: ajm@a3.ph.man.ac.uk

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Vol. 61, Iss. 2 — February 2000

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