Role of the driving frequency in a randomly perturbed Hodgkin-Huxley neuron with suprathreshold forcing

The present paper examines the influence of the forcing frequency on the response of a randomly perturbed Hodgkin-Huxley system in the realm of suprathreshold amplitudes. Our results show that, in the presence of noise, the choice of driving frequency can seriously affect the precision of the external information transmission. At the same level of noise the precision can either decrease or increase depending on the driving frequency. We demonstrate that the destructive influence of noise on the interspike interval can be effectively reduced. That is, with driving signals in certain frequency ranges, the system can show stable periodic spiking even for relatively large noise intensities. Here, the most accurate transmission of an external signal occurs. Outside these frequency ranges, noise of the same intensity destroys the regularity of the spike trains by suppressing the generation of some spikes. On the other hand, we show that noise can have a reconstructive role for certain driving frequencies. Here, increasing noise intensity enhances the coherence of the neuronal response.     

Coherence and stochastic resonance in threshold crossing detectors with delayed feedback

We consider the dynamical behavior of threshold systems driven by external periodic and stochastic signals and internal delayed feedback. Specifically, the effect of positive delayed feedback on the sensitivity of a threshold crossing detector (TCD) to periodic forcing embedded in noise is investigated. The system has an intrinsic ability to oscillate in the presence of positive feedback. We first show conditions under which such reverberatory behavior is enhanced by noise, which is a form of coherence resonance (CR) for this system. Further, for input signals that are subthreshold in the absence of feedback, the open-loop stochastic resonance (SR) characteristic can be sharply enhanced by positive delayed feedback. This enhancement is shown to depend on the stimulus period, and is maximal when this period is matched to an integer multiple of the delay. Reverberatory oscillations, which are particularly prominent after the offset of periodic forcing, are shown to be eliminated by a summing network of such TCDs with local delayed feedback. Theoretical analysis of the crossing rate dynamics qualitatively accounts for the existence of CR and the resonant behavior of the SR effect as a function of delay and forcing frequency.     

Frequency-dependent information coding in neurons with stochastic ion channels for subthreshold periodic forcing

The channel noise that stems from the stochastic nature of the ion channel has important effects on neuronal dynamics. In this context, we investigate the effect of the sub-threshold periodic current forcing on the regularity and synchronization of neuronal spiking activity by using a stochastic extension of the Hodgkin–Huxley model. We demonstrate that the intrinsic coherence resonance is independent of the forcing frequency for very small patch size while it is dependent on the frequency for larger sizes. We also show that the observed phase locking behavior occurs on the positive phase of the periodic current forcing for a small frequency range while the spikes fire most frequently at negative phase as the frequency is increased.     

Control of scroll wave turbulence in a three-dimensional reaction-diffusion system with gradient

In this paper, we summarize our recent experimental and theoretical works on observation and control of scroll wave (SW) turbulence. The experiments were conducted in a three-dimensional Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction-diffusion system with chemical concentration gradients in one dimension. A spatially homogeneous external forcing was used in the experiments as a control; it was realized by illuminating white light on the light sensitive reaction medium. We observed that, in the oscillatory regime of the system, SW can appear automatically in the gradient system, which will be led to spatiotemporal chaos under certain conditions. A suitable periodic forcing may stabilize inherent turbulence of SW. The mechanism of the transition to SW turbulence is due to the phase twist of SW in the presence of chemical gradients, while modulating the phase twist with a proper periodic forcing can delay this transition. Using the FitzHugh-Nagumo model with an external periodic forcing, we confirmed the control mechanism with numerical simulation. Moreover, we also show in the simulation that adding temporal external noise to the system may have the same control effect. During this process, we observed a new state called "intermittent turbulence," which may undergo a transition into a new type of SW collapse when the noise intensity is further increased. The intermittent state and the collapse could be explained by a random process.     

Monitoring noise-resonant effects in cancer growth influenced by external fluctuations and periodic treatment

We investigate a mathematical model describing the growth of tumor in the presence of immune response of a host organism. The dynamics of tumor and immune cells populations is based on the generic Michaelis-Menten kinetics depicting interaction and competition between the tumor and the immune system. The appropriate phenomenological equation modeling cell-mediated immune surveillance against cancer is of the predator-prey form and exhibits bistability within a given choice of the immune response-related parameters. Under the influence of weak external fluctuations, the model may be analyzed in terms of a stochastic differential equation bearing the form of an overdamped Langevin-like dynamics in the external quasi-potential represented by a double well. We analyze properties of the system within the range of parameters for which the potential wells are of the same depth and when the additional perturbation, modeling a periodic treatment, is insufficient to overcome the barrier height and to cause cancer extinction. In this case the presence of a small amount of noise can positively enhance the treatment, driving the system to a state of tumor extinction. On the other hand, however, the same noise can give rise to return effects up to a stochastic resonance behavior. This observation provides a quantitative analysis of mechanisms responsible for optimization of periodic tumor therapy in the presence of spontaneous external noise. Studying the behavior of the extinction time as a function of the treatment frequency, we have also found the typical resonant activation effect: For a certain frequency of the treatment, there exists a minimum extinction time.     

Brownian motors and stochastic resonance

We study the transport properties for a walker on a ratchet potential. The walker consists of two particles coupled by a bistable potential that allow the interchange of the order of the particles while moving through a one-dimensional asymmetric periodic ratchet potential. We consider the stochastic dynamics of the walker on a ratchet with an external periodic forcing, in the overdamped case. The coupling of the two particles corresponds to a single effective particle, describing the internal degree of freedom, in a bistable potential. This double-well potential is subjected to both a periodic forcing and noise and therefore is able to provide a realization of the phenomenon of stochastic resonance. The main result is that there is an optimal amount of noise where the amplitude of the periodic response of the system is maximum, a signal of stochastic resonance, and that precisely for this optimal noise, the average velocity of the walker is maximal, implying a strong link between stochastic resonance and the ratchet effect.     

Parameter dependence of stochastic resonance in the stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley neuron

Recently, the phenomena of stochastic resonance (SR) have attracted much attention in the studies of the excitable systems under inherent noise, in particular, nervous systems. We study SR in a stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley neuron under Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise and periodic stimulus, focusing on the dependence of properties of SR on stimulus parameters. We find that the dependence of the critical forcing amplitude on the frequency of the periodic stimulus shows a bell-shaped structure with a minimum at the stimulus frequency, which is quite different from the monotonous dependence observed in the bistable system at a small frequency range. The frequency dependence of the critical forcing amplitude is explained in connection with the firing onset bifurcation curve of the Hodgkin-Huxley neuron in the deterministic situation. The optimal noise intensity for maximal amplification is also found to show a similar structure.     

Stochastic resonance in periodic potentials

We have studied the motion of a particle in a periodic potential plus a bias, driven by a noise and a coherent forcing. The response (power spectrum) of the particle at the driving forcing frequency is considered for different values of the noise intensity and of the bias. It is shown via direct simulation that the response displays the phenomenon of stochastic resonance, although the phenomenology is somehow different from the one observed in the standard bistable system.     

Excess noise in intracavity laser frequency modulation

The response to perturbations and to stochastic noise of a laser below threshold subjected to an intracavity periodic frequency modulation is theoretically studied. It is shown that, when the modulation frequency is close to the cavity axial mode separation but yet detuned from exact resonance, the laser exhibits a strongly enhanced sensitivity to external noise, which includes large transient energy amplification of perturbations in the deterministic case and enhancement of field fluctuations in presence of a continuous stochastic noise. This large excess noise is due to the nonorthogonality of Floquet laser modes which makes it possible continuous energy transfer from the forcing noise to transient growing perturbations.     

Effect of phase noise on parametric instabilities

We report an experimental study on the effect of an external phase noise on the parametric amplification of surface waves. We observe that both the instability growth rate and the wave amplitude above the instability onset are decreased in the presence of noise. We show that all the results can be understood with a deterministic amplitude equation for the wave in which the effect of noise is just to change the forcing term. All the data for the growth rate (respectively the wave amplitude), obtained for different forcing amplitudes and different intensities of the noise, can be collapsed on a single curve using this renormalized forcing in the presence of noise.     

具有非线性阻尼涨落的线性谐振子的随机共振

较之于线性噪声, 非线性噪声更广泛地存在于实际系统中, 但其研究远不能满足实际情况的需要. 针对作为非线性阻尼涨落噪声基本构成成分的二次阻尼涨落噪声, 本文考虑了周期信号与之共同作用下的线性谐振子, 关注这类具有基本意义的阻尼涨落噪声的非线性对系统共振行为的影响. 利用Shapiro-Loginov公式和Laplace变换推导了系统稳态响应振幅的解析表达式, 并分析了稳态响应振幅的共振行为, 且以数值仿真验证了理论分析的有效性. 研究发现: 系统稳态响应振幅关于非线性阻尼涨落噪声系数具有非单调依赖关系, 特别是非线性阻尼涨落噪声比线性阻尼涨落噪声更有助于增强系统对外部周期信号的响应程度; 而且, 非线性阻尼涨落噪声比线性阻尼涨落噪声使得稳态响应振幅关于噪声强度具有更为丰富的共振行为; 同时, 二次阻尼涨落噪声使得稳态响应振幅关于系统频率出现真正的共振现象; 而在这些现象和性质中, 非线性噪声项的非线性性质对共振行为起着关键的作用. 显然, 以二次阻尼涨落作为基本形式引入的非线性阻尼涨落噪声, 可以有助于提高微弱周期信号检测的灵敏度和实现对周期信号的频率估计.     

Hopping and phase shifts in noisy periodically driven bistable systems

We consider a periodically driven bistable system in the presence of fluctuations. In a number of recent papers it has been shown that the amplitude of the response of the noisy system to periodic modulations exhibits stochastic resonance, i.e. a resonance-like behavior as a function of the noise intensity. In this paper, we consider the phase shift between the response and the periodic driving. For weak periodic driving, the phase shift also shows a resonance like behaviour as a function of the noise strength, but this effect is shown to be of different origin than the one responsible for stochastic resonance. Furthermore, the phase shift is demonstrated to exhibit a resonance-like behavior as a function of the driving frequency.     

Hysteresis studies in a noisy autoassociative neural network

We define magnetization for a noisy autoassociative neural network driven by an external periodic field. Numerical simulations are carried out to investigate the effect of drive amplitude and frequency and noise strength on the area of the hysteresis loop. We observe that in the presence of weak periodic signal, the network exhibits a maximum in the hysteresis loop area at a nonzero noise intensity indicating maximum synchronization between the periodic signal and the response. It also goes through a maximum as a function of signal frequency.     

Fingerprints of determinism in an apparently stochastic corrosion process

We detect hints of determinism in an apparently stochastic corrosion problem. This experimental system has industrial relevance as it mimics the corrosion processes of pipelines transporting water, hydrocarbons, or other fuels to remote destinations. We subject this autonomous system to external periodic perturbations. Keeping the amplitude of the superimposed perturbations constant and varying the frequency, the system's response is analyzed. It reveals the presence of an optimal forcing frequency for which maximal response is achieved. These results are consistent with those for a deterministic system and indicate a classical resonance between the forcing signal and the autonomous dynamics. Numerical studies using a generic corrosion model are carried out to complement the experimental findings.     

Collective effects induced by diversity in extended systems

We show that diversity, in the form of quenched noise, can have a constructive effect in the dynamics of extended systems. We first consider a bistable φ⁴ model composed by many coupled units and show that the global response to an external periodic forcing is enhanced under the presence of the right amount of diversity (measured as the dispersion in one of the parameters defining the model). As a second example, we consider a system of active-rotators and show that while they are at rest in the homogeneous case, the disorder introduced by the diversity suffices to trigger the appearance of common firings or pulses. Both effects require very simple ingredients and we expect the results presented here to be of interest in similar models.     

Phase synchronization in tilted deterministic ratchets

We study phase synchronization for a ratchet system. We consider the deterministic dynamics of a particle in a tilted ratchet potential with an external periodic forcing, in the overdamped case. The ratchet potential has to be tilted in order to obtain a rotator or self-sustained nonlinear oscillator in the absence of external periodic forcing. This oscillator has an intrinsic frequency that can be entrained with the frequency of the external driving. We introduced a linear phase through a set of discrete time events and the associated average frequency, and show that this frequency can be synchronized with the frequency of the external driving. In this way, we can properly characterize the phenomenon of synchronization through Arnold tongues, which represent regions of synchronization in parameter space, and discuss their implications for transport in ratchets.     

Time-varying coupling-induced logical stochastic resonance in a periodically driven coupled bistable system

Coupling-induced logical stochastic resonance(LSR) can be observed in a noise-driven coupled bistable system where the behaviors of system can be interpreted consistently as a specific logic gate in an appropriate noise level. Here constant coupling is extended to time-varying coupling, and then we investigate the effect of time-varying coupling on LSR in a periodically driven coupled bistable system. When coupling intensity oscillates periodically with the same frequency with periodic force or relatively high frequency, the system successfully yields the desired logic output. When coupling intensity oscillates irregularly with phase disturbance, large phase disturbance reduces the area of optimal parameter region of coupling intensity and response speed of logic devices. Although the system behaves as a desired logic gate when the frequency of time-periodic coupling intensity is precisely equal to that of periodic force, the desired logic gate is not robust against tiny frequency difference and phase disturbance. Therefore, periodic coupling intensity with high frequency ratio is an optimal option to obtain a reliable and robust logic operation.     

Sensitive signal detection using a feed-forward oscillator network

We present the results of an experimental investigation of a network of nonlinear coupled oscillators which are coupled in feed-forward mode. By exploiting the nonlinear response of each oscillator near its intrinsic Hopf bifurcation point, we have found remarkable amplification of small signals over a narrow bandwidth with a large dynamic range. The effect is exploited to extract a small amplitude periodic signal from an input time series which is dominated by noise. Specifically, we have used this relatively simple experimental system to measure responses with a bandwidth of approximately 1% of the central frequency, amplifications of approximately 60 dB, and a dynamic range of approximately 80 dB and can extract signals from a time series with a signal to noise ratio of approximately -50 dB.     

Stochastic resonance and energy optimization in spatially extended dynamical systems

We investigate a class of nonlinear wave equations subject to periodic forcing and noise, and address the issue of energy optimization. Numerically, we use a pseudo-spectral method to solve the nonlinear stochastic partial differential equation and compute the energy of the system as a function of the driving amplitude in the presence of noise. In the fairly general setting where the system possesses two coexisting states, one with low and another with high energy, noise can induce intermittent switchings between the two states. A striking finding is that, for fixed noise, the system energy can be optimized by the driving in a form of resonance. The phenomenon can be explained by the Langevin dynamics of particle motion in a double-well potential system with symmetry breaking. The finding can have applications to small-size devices such as microelectromechanical resonators and to waves in fluid and plasma.     

双驱动布鲁塞尔振子的一些运动性质

以强迫布鲁塞尔振子方程为例,研究了外加第二驱动对振子运动性质的影响:某些有理频率比的第二驱动可以抑制方程的混沌运动,得到周期轨道;而某些无理频率比的外驱动则可以改变方程的运动性质,造成非混沌的奇怪吸引子。