Subject: Re: mechanical cochlear model From: "reinifrosch@xxxxxxxx" <reinifrosch@xxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 12:33:14 +0000 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>Dear Alain, Unfortunately, I am not very knowledgeable, so my attempt may not be authoritative: 1) Definition of cochlear-wave crest: In a snapshot of the cochlear channel, at a crest the displacement of the basilar membrane from its no-wave position has a local maximum. 2) During a travelling wave, the crest moves. 3) Even in the spatial region of the sharp "active peak" there is a travelling wave. Ren et al. (2003) have shown how it can be experimentally recognized. See their contribution "Measurement of Basilar-Membrane Vibration Using a Scanning Laser Interferometer" in the book "Biophysics of the Cohlea" (Titisee Proceedings), Gummer (Ed.), World Scientific, New Jersey, pp. 211-219. Reinhart. ----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-------------------------- Von: Alain.de.Cheveigne@xxxxxxxx Datum: 08.03.2010 11:46 An: <AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx> Betreff: Re: mechanical cochlear model Just for the record, I did not side with the travelling wave hypothesis. I did want to say that there appears to be a divergence on what 'travelling wave' means. It would be good if someone knowledgeable gave an authoritative definition. If possible make it operational by saying how we can recognize that there is one, and how we would rule out the opposite hypothesis. [...] -------------------------------------------------------------- Reinhart Frosch, Dr. phil. nat., r. PSI and ETH Zurich, Sommerhaldenstr. 5B, CH-5200 Brugg. Phone: 0041 56 441 77 72. Mobile: 0041 79 754 30 32. E-mail: reinifrosch@xxxxxxxx .