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A model for the nonlinear mechanism responsible for cochlear amplification
Kimberly Fessel1, Mark H Holmes
1Department of Mathematical Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180-3590, United States. fessek@rpi.edu.
Abstract:
A nonlinear model for the mechanism responsible for the amplification of the sound wave in the ear is derived using the geometric and material properties of the system. The result is a nonlinear beam equation, with the nonlinearity appearing in a coefficient of the equation. Once derived, the beam problem is analyzed for various loading conditions. Based on this analysis it is seen that the mechanism is capable of producing a spatially localized gain, as required by any amplification mechanism, but it is also capable of increasing the spatial contrast in the signal.
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