Dimensional analysis of cochlear models.

Abstract

It is generally known that events occurring in different systems which, although differing in size, are physically similar can be quantitatively related to each other by Dimensional Analysis. The significance for Auditory Theory of various phenomena observed previously in cochlear models would be considerably increased if a dimensional analysis were performed of these models.This paper represents an attempt at such an analysis. In the amplitude domain, its results suggest a close relation between the levels at which Bekesy's eddies first become visible in the model and at which harmonic distortion first becomes audible in the human ear. In a previous paper on cochlear models, evidence had been given that the appearance of Bekesy's eddies represents the onset of harmonic distortion in the model. The present analysis has strengthened the validity of this concept.