title: Resonances while surmounting a fluctuating barrier
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 tau and noise strength Q) the nonmonotonic variation of the mean escape time T as a function of tau 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 tau of the order of the relaxation time toward the metastable state.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Chemistry, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, United Kingdom and Institute of Physics, Nicholas Copernicus University, Grudzi&acedil;dzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland.
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iwaniszewski
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: McClintock
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McKane