Abstract
Three successively more elaborate physical models for the fluid-elastic interaction in the cochlea are analyzed by asymptotic methods, with which an a priori assumption of “long” or “short” wavelengths is not necessary. Appropriate stiffnesses are estimated from Békésy’s static point and pressure load measurements. Most calculations are for a “two-mode” model which admits an independent motion of the arches of Corti and the pectinate zone of the basilar membrane. The phase, location of maximum response, and arrival times correlate well with recent measurements of basilar membrane response, electrical and neural activity. The model cannot reproduce with any reasonable change in stiffness or fluid viscosity, the sharpness of decay observed at a fixed point for high frequency, nor the severe post-mortem changes in amplitude. This indicates that the organ of Corti has a significant mechanical function not taken into consideration by the present models. The “three-mode” model, which includes the flexibility of the bony shelf tip, is briefly considered. The results indicate that for frequencies over 1 kHz no “long” wavelengths occur in the human cochlea.
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Steele, C.R. (1976). Cochlear Mechanics. In: Keidel, W.D., Neff, W.D. (eds) Auditory System. Handbook of Sensory Physiology, vol 5 / 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66082-5_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66082-5_12
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