The relaxation properties of a stochastic bistable system perturbed by a periodic low-frequency forcing term is investigated by means of analog simulation. The so-called stochastic resonance phenomenon is revealed under diverse experimental conditions. Its dependence on the parameters of both the periodic perturbation and the forced system is explained theoretically.

• Received 3 October 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.349