Thermally activated switching in the presence of non-Gaussian noise

Lora Billings, Mark I. Dykman, and Ira B. Schwartz

Phys. Rev. E 78, 051122 – Published 24 November 2008

Abstract

We study the effect of a non-Gaussian noise on interstate switching activated primarily by Gaussian noise. Even weak non-Gaussian noise can strongly change the switching rate. The effect is determined by all moments of the noise distribution. It is expressed in a closed form in terms of the noise characteristic functional. The analytical results are compared with the results of simulations for an overdamped system driven by white Gaussian noise and a Poisson noise. Switching induced by a purely Poisson noise is also discussed.

Received 21 August 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.78.051122

Authors & Affiliations

Lora Billings¹, Mark I. Dykman^2,*, and Ira B. Schwartz³

¹Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey 07043, USA
²Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
³Nonlinear System Dynamics Section, Plasma Physics Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6792, Washington, DC 20375, USA

^*dykman@pa.msu.edu

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Issue

Vol. 78, Iss. 5 — November 2008

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Physical Review E

covering statistical, nonlinear, biological, and soft matter physics